Blood Does Not Make A Family
by SpeakingThroughWrittenWords
Summary: How easily can a family be pulled apart? Zim and Gaz learn the value of family from the person they least expected it from.
1. Torn Apart

**Torn Apart**

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Dib grinned as Zim got himself into another uncomfortable position. Hi-skool health class was completely useless, as far as Dib was concerned, but then there was Zim. Health had been the class where he was prepared to prove to everyone the horrible alien menace that he was, by his lack of knowledge on the subject of Human anatomy. Much to Dib's chagrin, Zim acted better then he had hoped, with a basic knowledge on the Human body. It was not that Dib did not think Zim knew anything about it, he had just hoped that if Zim labeled enough things wrong someone would start to wonder. And he did. He labeled enough things wrong that Dib tried his hardest to stifle his laughter while Zim heed and hawed over his situation. The rest of the class on the other hand did not try to hide it at all. Everyone laughed when Zim said... well, something instead of something else.

Zim did not hide his irritation.

"Laugh now, you filthy, fellow classmates!" he shouted over their laughter. "For you can only laugh so long, before your... before your stomach hurts."

Zita fell out of her chair. The stomach hurting overcame her first.

Zim sat down in his chair, fuming. Dib turned his face towards the window while he finished his chuckling. As humorous as it was, Zim still had not given him the edge to the perfect proof yet. The proof no one could deny. Dib swore he would get it soon. Or, at least someday.

"Now, now, students," the health teacher tapped a ruler on the desk. She had a small smile on her face as well, but in trying to be fair to Zim, she quieted the class. "We need to continue with our reading. We don't want to have Christmas break homework like we did for Thanksgiving. Open your-"

The phone rang, cutting off her sentence. She turned her head over to the corner where the phone was, her raven black hair swishing in it's ponytail. A few people in the back of the class giggled, causing everyone else to start snickering. Zim looked daggers at the entire classroom as Miss Olegario picked up the classroom phone. She put up one finger and the class was silent again.

Dib was very curious as Miss Olegario's face fell. Whatever she had heard on the phone was bad. She hung it up, her face stone still.

"Dib, you are wanted in the office," she said, smoothly.

Jeers came from the others, especially Zim, as they named off whom he had offended with his paranormal antics this time. Dib was scared as Miss Olegario cut them off sharply, a contrast from the normally cheerful individual.

"Take your bag with you Dib," she told him softly as he stood up.

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Zim sneered as the Dib-stink walked by his seat. The Dib threw some mechanical pencil lead in his eye. Zim hissed as he pulled it out of his contact. It hurt, but he would have to deal with that until lunch.

Today was a horrible day! Zim could not think of a worse one since last week's incident in His-stories class when he dragged in one of Irk's past references with war into his essay and had to redo it quickly before turning it in in one minute. He needed five for a five paged report in this, English. The Dib-monster saw the whole thing and had laughed behind his own _perfect_ paper. Oh, how he would pay!

The worst thing about Zim's senior year was that he had every single bloody class with that Dib! (Bloody was something he learned from watching the BBC) He wished there was something that he could have done about it, but he was afraid that if he distanced himself to far away from the worm-baby that he might pull something off behind his back. This way he could keep a good eye on him and see whether or not he was going to try to expose him.

In this, health class, with the goody-two-shoes teacher, he found it a bit easier to learn more about Human behavior. Miss Olegario accepted to help him after school and while he pretended to know nothing about the homework he asked his questions. She had a major in psychology, so he could ask random questions and see what the majority of people would do. And she just thought that he was imaginative and funny! Ha! When he took over the earth, he would... not let her know it was him, for she had stuck up for him and even though an Invader needs no one, teachers who told off the other students was always a good thing to have.

"Page 264," she said seriously. Zim felt a chill go up his spine as the other students also were silent and confused. Zim narrowed his eyes at the page as he looked over at the phone. _Was whatever the Dib-stink did really that bad?_

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Between dread and curiosity, Dib found himself in front of the office door, barely remembering wandering down the hall. He opened the door and strode up to the front desk. The secretary looked at him sadly and gestured him into the Principle's office.

The Principle's office did not frighten him. They often dragged him in there to make him reconsider the school psychiatrist. What frightened him was someone being sad while looking at him. For him.

"Come in, Dib," said Principle Kennedy. He stood up, as well as the other three people in the room. Two, Dib recognized from his father's labs. The other Dib did not recognize. He was dressed up in a black suit and his face showed the least emotion then anyone else.

"This is Dib," Mr. Kennedy said to the man. "His sister Gaz is with the sophomore group that went on the Graphics Designs field trip."

"Hello Dib," the man put his hand out. "My name is Mr. Fortif."

"Nice to meet you," Dib said, unsure, shaking his hand. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Dib knew he was imagining it.

"Dib," one of the scientists, Karst, said. "Please, take a seat."

"What's this about?" Dib asked, but sat down as the scientist gestured at the chair again.

"There was a mishap in the lab," the other scientist, he was pretty sure it was Stantend, said. "A wrong mixture. Dib, I am afraid-"

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---------------------------------------------

Gaz pressed the buttons down, tearing apart another enemy as her small 3D figure moved across the screen.

"Time to move on," her teacher repeated, pausing the game by pressing a button in front of Gaz and then stalking off. Gaz snorted and whipped out her GS4, starting that up as she turned to follow the rest of her peers.

"Before you go miss," their tour guide for the games section called out to her. Gaz felt her temper rising again. First she was not allowed to finish the basics on the game design screen, now someone else wanted to bother her. She stopped and lowered her Game Slave a tiny bit.

"What?" she asked as the woman came up to her.

The young adult paused at the suppressed anger in her voice, but not in fear. A tiny bit of irritation showed on her face but she appeared to push it away. "I saw how you were starting your own design there on the open designers Crossed Waters."

"Yeah?" Gaz rose an eyebrow. She really wished that this person would get over with what she was saying so that she could leave. In fact, if she did not get down to the point soon, Gaz would leave whether it was important or not.

"Don't be so impatient," the dark-skinned girl scowled. "I was just going to suggest taking a few classes here."

"Classes?" she had not snagged Gaz's interest, but since she had got to the point, she decided to hear her out.

"I am one of the newest recruits here," she said. "Picked out of my class for being graphic savvy. But you could probably fit in here perfectly, after nearly completing a simple game design in a few minutes."

"Sure..." Gaz put down her GS4. "I don't think-"

"You're like me," the girl had a wry smirk on her face. "And that's not a good thing. Don't worry, they'll leave you alone. Most of the time. In fact, if you tell them you work better with no one around, you pretty much have a locked door, from the inside."

"Really?" Gaz put out her full attention then. It sounded too good to be true. Games all day and practically no one bothering her. She narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch here?"

"What I'm stuck with," the girl put one hand on her hip. "Touring for two months. But that is it. Though sometimes you do have to talk to the other people that are in the project. It sucks, but there isn't much I can do about it."

"Tell me about it," Gaz grinned.

"Name's Sandra," the frizzy black haired one said, but she did not put out her hand.

"Gaz," Gaz replied, impressed with the lack of actual contact.

"Here's the number for my section," Sandra handed the card for this building over. "Tell them to put you in contact with me if you're serious Gaz."

"Sure, whatever," Gaz took the card and Sandra started to walk off. Sanctuary from people, she felt like she was going to her designated place in Hell. She could not wait.

"Oh," Sandra turned back. "You have to be able to say that you can get your own ride to work and class when you make your schedule. But we can go over details later."

"Yeah," Gaz nodded, knowing she could get her Dad to plan out a car to come here. She left the room, following after her class.

-

The bus made it's rounds, dropping Gaz off in front of her house. Happy on the inside that she was able to escape her soon-to-be-dead-if-they-did-not-stop-bothering-her-peers, she jumped off still playing her game as she walked into the house.

"Gaz," she heard the sound of her brother over the now melodious and not really beeping music of the Game Slave. "We need to talk."

He sounded serious, so she knew he was about to ask her for something to help him with his stupid paranormal studies.

"Later," she told him. "Maybe."

"No, Gaz," he grabbed a hold of her shoulder, a very bold move for him. "Now, this is important."

"No, I don't think it is," she turned towards him, glaring. "Now get your hand off of me this instant Dib. Before I hurt you."

"It's about... Dad."

"What, is he not coming home for Christmas? Like he did for Thanksgiving?" she sighed, irritated, finally turning towards him. Despite the fact he was never home, she did love her father. Maybe it was because he was not there and the small bit she could remember of their quality time he did not annoy her. She paused as she noticed that Dib had been crying. It did not seem to be the crying that he did when he failed to capture Zim, or when the sea monster in the nearby lake tried to maul him.

"Dad's dead Gaz," he choked.

"What?" she growled, hoping that he would realize how painfully he was going to die for his joke.

Dib bit his lip and continued. "One of... one of the scientists brought a chemical into the... wrong part of the lab. It caught on... on to the fumes in the air and- one of the machines blew-- he's dead..."

"No he's not," she refused to believe it and her tone was to tell him that he was so dead.

"I-I saw his body."

She barely felt the Game Slave in her hand drop to the ground.

Gaz could not think. From her mind, she could not make her body react, so what happened was a subconscious reaction from her.

"You're lying!" she shrieked at him.

"No Gaz," he shook his head. "I swear to you I'm-"

"Liar!" she punched him in the chest, which made him wince, but overall did less damage then she had hoped for. Screaming, she hit him in the shoulders and stomach. Dib caught her blows when she started getting near his face. She had never noticed how strong he had gotten from all of his chasing around of random things. But he was not strong enough, as she yanked her left fist out of his hand and nailed him on the chin. He only grasped her by the shoulders.

"Then bring him back!" she yelled at him, the tears running freely down her face. "Bring him back like you tried to do for Mom! Do it!"

"I can't," he told her, and she was vaguely aware of someone patting her hair, something that Dad did.

"Do it!" she finally realized that she had broke down. They were both on the ground, her fists now pounding on his lap, her head bowed so he could not see it anymore.

"Remember what happened last time Gaz."

"I don't CARE!" she hollered.

He did not respond and Gaz managed to get a hold of herself. She pulled away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. She averted her eyes from looking at Dib. She did not want to know what he thought of her from her outburst. She was not going to say she was sorry for it either.

"He's... really dead," she managed to put out a monotone voice, or at least as close to one as she was going to get. From the corner of her eye, she saw that he nodded.

She got up and went up the stairs slowly, waiting for Dad to come through the door and apologize for leaving a robot that looked just like him in the lab. She reached her room and shut the door. She wanted to be able to tell him about Sandra and the position at GrafixGames.

The front door stayed closed.

* * *

Like? Please respond. If so, I have a few more chapters of this already finished.

I apologize to all and any Membrane fans who read this, I really didn't like killing him off in the first chapter either.


	2. The Morning After

**The Morning After**

Opening her eyes, she saw that it was six forty-eight. She knew that it was school today, today was a Thursday. Blinking, she saw that it said PM, and that the cord had been yanked out of the wall and it most definitely was not either that early in the morning or that late in the afternoon. Sitting up, she noticed that she was still in her clothes from yesterday.

"_Dad's dead Gaz."_

The sun was up, but not warm enough to be noon, so Gaz made the guess that it was probably eleven or twelve. She stood up, stretching out a sore neck and grabbing fresh clothing. She headed out and crossed the hall to the bathroom, after making sure no one was out there. She started stripping off her clothes, stopping to look at her face in the mirror. Her eyes almost looked bloodshot and her face was pale, well, paler then usual. That image in her mind she stepped into the shower.

"_I saw his body."_

She skimmed down the stairs in her bare feet. Dib was in the kitchen, sitting at the table. A bowl of cereal sat in front of him, but it had not even looked as if he had touched the spoon. She sat down across from him, staring down at the table's surface. He did not say anything and she couldn't.

"What's going to happen?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure," he stared at his coffee mug, which was barely touched. "I went over some of the details with Mr. Fortif-"

"Who?"

"An authority for- he was going to- Gaz, he wants to take you to a foster home."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Dib sighed, rubbing his forehead. "He did not know our age- thinking about it, no one really ever has bothered to check anything about us, the scientists still think we're in middle skool. I have a few weeks until I am eighteen, but you're only fifteen. Unless I can prove that I can care for you... they'll take you away."

"I don't need someone to care for me," Gaz rolled her eyes.

"By the law, your not allowed to," Dib shook his head.

"Dad-" Gaz stopped. Clearing her throat, she continued, "The money ought to be enough to support us."

"A lot of Dad's money went with the lab, the rest is for any other injuries, deaths, and other stuff for the other scientists there. A lot of people lost their jobs," Dib shut his eyes and rested his head on the table. "And the fact that we have money has nothing to do with it, it is whether there is anyone who can continue to earn money in the household."

"This is all stupid," she muttered.

"I have a month to be able to get custody of you."

Gaz stared up at him. "You... get custody of me?"

Dib brought his head back and nodded. "Either that or I loose you."

"Loose me?" Gaz scoffed. "You're crazy."

A raspy laugh came from his throat. "And that exactly will get you in a foster home."

Gaz opened her mouth to say something, but she could not find anything to say. She hated her brother, most of the time, but the last thing she wanted was to be placed in a house with a lot of strange kids who would not leave her alone, or with a family that wanted to "love" her.

"That's just stupid," she growled. "Just because you're crazy doesn't mean we can't do the same things we have been doing all our lives. He... was never home anyways."

"They won't take that," Dib picked up the mug and sipped at it.

"By the law you're supposed to be twenty-one!" Gaz shot back.

"I know," Dib looked up at her. "But apparently I am going to be allowed some leverage... for being... Membrane's son."

"And why are you acting like you even care if I'm here?" she grumbled, leaning forward on the table.

"Look Gaz," Dib coughed. "I know you hate me and a lot of the time, you really bug me too! But, we're the only ones left! You're all that's left of my family!"

"When did a family matter so much to you?" she asked, her voice raising. "It never mattered!"

"It seemed to matter to you when I said Dad died!" he shouted at her, slamming his mug back on the table. Furious that he would shout at her, she stood up and went to the front door.

"It's now that I only have one piece of it left," she heard him whisper.

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_Why isn't the Dib-beast in class?_ Zim's eyes wandered again over to the empty seat. The empty seat which was right next to him. Not that Zim minded Dib-stink gone for science, it just let Zim shine in his own personal glory, but it just made him curious why he was not here.

Whispers went around that the Dib finally did something illegal ran like wildfire through the school. Zim did not remember anyone saying that with a fact. After a past incident (which will not be stated here) he did not believe the 'flying' words called rumors. He was not going to listen to something that was not true, that would just get his hopes up in order to smash them and tell him that something actually good happened to his enemy.

The weirder thing was, that the Gaz-monster was not at school either. Zim narrowed his eyes at the window, not paying that much attention to the idiotic man who said he had a science degree. At home, while Gir was watching the television, Probing the Membrane of Science had been canceled. Zim was not fool, whatever was going on with the three was a _family _matter.

Zim could never understand the meaning of that word. He had looked it up and it had said family: a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head. Then, he had looked at his example of a family, the Dib's of course. Dib-worm and the Gaz-creature did live under the same roof, but their father Professor Membrane rarely came home (Zim knew that from his spying at Dib's house). Then came the second part of the statement. 'Under one head.' Zim was positive that each one of them had their own head. Although the Dib's head was large enough to share with Membrane and the Dib-sister, she simply would not stand for sharing a head with anyone, and Membrane was off in so many places he could not let the head he used stay behind for any amount of time. All in all, they obviously were not a family.

The part that annoyed him most was how boring class was with the Dib not bothering him. He felt like he was wasting his time when he could be in his base working on his next plan of world conquest. In fact, that sounded like the best idea that was sounded all day. So, as soon as the bell rang he shot off to skip the rest of the day. Not that one day would matter with his grades. He was Zim!

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"Watch it!" she snapped at the person who bumped into her. She narrowed her eyes in irritation when she saw who it was.

"Dib-sister!" exclaimed Zim. She began to walk away. She normally could care less what he had to say and that had not changed. She only found him a little less annoying than her brother, but the fact that he made her brother even more annoying took that small amount of leniency away from him. "Wait!"

"Not now Zim," she grumbled like she normally did.

"Where's the Dib-worm?" she heard him following after her.

"Somewhere else," she snapped. "Why do you think I care?"

Zim paused, seeming taken aback. "You... are the Dib-sister, right?"

She bit her tongue. "This had better be good," Gaz seethed.

"Where's your Game Slave?"

Gaz blinked, not even have noticing it gone. Her pocket felt empty without it there, waiting for her to pick it up. She remembered going into the virtual world shortly after Mom died. She drowned out the surrounding noise, and went into a world where she could restart someone else's life. Then Gaz recalled where she had dropped it in the hall the night before.

But Gaz did not want her Game Slave.

"None of your damn business, is it Zim?" she told him flatly, and where she usually would have given him an evil smile to freak him out, she narrowed her eyes and left. Zim backed away and did not follow her.

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Zim tried to shoot something back at the moody teenager, but habit made him shut his mouth. The last thing he needed was for his enemy's sister to beat the hell out of him. As much as he hated to admit it, the Dib-sister could beat both him and the Dib, even at their own games. Everything was a game for her, so he knew better then to say anything else, she obviously was not going to answer his question. He went back to his previous set of mind, which told him to head back to his base.

On his way back, he saw the big-headed figure in the distance.

_Dib._

"What are you and your enormously large head doing out of skool, Dib-beast?" he asked slyly, coming up beside his enemy. The Dib did not respond to his obvious taunt and did not respond to the head comment, which told Zim something was wrong, which made him glad. Sorrow and upsetting things distracted ones mind and made one susceptible to mind attacks, which gave Zim an idea for his next world conquering plan.

"It's none of your business Zim," Dib replied in a monotone voice, continuing to walk by him without even giving him a glance.

"Yes, it is Zim's business," Zim retorted, feeling deja-vu coming on as he caught up with Dib. "What you fail to realize, Dib-beast, is that as soon as you messed with me, _you_ became Zim's business!"

"No, I think not," Dib said, still continuing to go into town.

"Well you think wrong-" Zim began before Dib wheeled around on him.

"Look Zim," he hissed, reminding Zim of the Gaz-creature. "As much as I knew and and as close as I was to exposing you, I need to get a real life now, and fast. So I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone for a while. I'll bother you when I have the time!" He then proceeded back in the direction that he was heading in the first place.

"When you have the time?" Zim followed Dib, knowing it would be easier to get answers out of him. "What is that supposed to mean, Dib-worm? You'll make the time!"

Dib stopped in his tracks, causing Zim to bump into him. He turned and sat on the sidewalk curb, putting his face in his hands.

"Look Zim," his voice was muffled, but Zim could still hear it. "I know you could care less about what I am going to say to you, and this isn't because I want you to know, it's because I need to tell someone."

Zim cocked his head and looked down at the worm-baby on the sidewalk. "What is this?"

Dib sighed, "I need to get a job."

Zim could not help but laugh at him, he was just so stupid! "I thought you said your Paramedics was your job," he laughed.

"Paranormal," Dib corrected.

"I said that," Zim replied.

"It will be my job," Dib continued. "Once I get paid for it. But I need to get there quickly, so I can't spend time talking with you," he stood up.

"I thought all your supplies were bought by Membrane," Zim frowned.

"Well, they aren't anymore," Dib looked at him, his eyes all watery. "Since he's dead."

"Dead?" Zim narrowed his eyes. "And what difference does that make?"

"You just DON'T GET IT!" Dib shouted at Zim, surprising him. "He's DEAD!" Dib slumped down to the ground again, his face hidden against his knees.

Zim did not respond to that. In fact, he tried to understand Dib's point of view, though why, he told himself it was for his Human psychological studies. Zim figured, since Membrane had provided for the two siblings, they would be upset now that they had to fend for themselves. He found it pathetic that they would act that way, especially since it was Dib. His enemy had been fending for himself for as long as he had known him, he did not have to get all weepy over it now! It was only one thing less in his way!

"Now you don't have to spend any time trying to get any of his approval," Zim shrugged.

"You JERK!" Dib leaped at Zim, knocking him over. Zim bared his teeth and brought up his hands to attack as Dib put his own hands around Zim's neck. Zim coughed, scratching at Dib. He could have ended it quickly, by pulling out his spider legs, but in the middle of the city with anyone able to walk around the corner and see them, he attempted to pry Dib's hands off with his fingers. He abandoned that idea when things started to become black from the lack of air. He brought one mechanical leg out to bat Dib aside, which knocked him against the store wall.

"What was that for?" Zim snarled, striding up to Dib to finish what the other had started.

"For making it sound as if Dad didn't matter," Dib spat at him, causing Zim's forehead to start burning.

"Ahhhhhh!!! My face! Zim's beautiful face!" Zim screamed, running away to recuperate.

* * *

Zim just does not understand...

Well, on a lighter note, Merry Christmas!

**-crickets start chirping-**

Oh, come on! Bad timing again?

... Hope you people like...


	3. Come, Come

**Come, Come**

"Zim," she said to him after everyone else had left for lunch. "You skipped class yesterday."

Zim shrugged as he went up to Miss Olegario's desk, wondering why she hadn't brought it up in class earlier that day. "Zim had some business to attend to," Zim told her.

"Business that couldn't wait till after skool?" she asked him.

"Yes," he responded.

"Hmmm..." she averted her chocolate brown eyes to her desk as she brought out a few papers. "So I suppose you've stayed in here for a recap on yesterday?"

"Actually, no," he dragged a chair over in front of her desk and sat down. "I need to ask you something, about the Dib."

"Depending on what it is, is whether I'll answer it," she warned him. Zim never would understand the secrecy thing that these Humans had about the silliest matters, but since he had already argued about it once to one of the teachers, he decided to let it drop for the time being.

"He's missed skool for the past two days," he told her. She nodded, as if she already knew, which Zim remembered she would because she marked him absent for two days in her class. He cleared his throat. "Because of Membrane-"

"How did you find out about that Zim?" she questioned him.

"Don't interrupt Zim!" Zim exclaimed. She gave him a warning look, which Zim promptly ignored. "I know because he told me."

"He told you?" she rose a thin eyebrow.

"Yes, when I asked," Zim replied. "Yesterday when I saw him in the city."

"What were you doing out there?"

"Nothing important," he waved it off. "But he was very... upset."

"It was his father Zim," she said, as if that would explain it to him.

"His father who never appreciated what intelligence his son had!" Zim pressed. He paused, "Though you didn't hear that from me."

"Of course," she nodded. "But still, Zim, it was family who had died. If one of your parents died, wouldn't you be upset?"

"Neither of them will malfunction while I still need them," he responded, remembering the repairs he had to do on them after they believed that he needed to spend some quality time with them.

"You can not be sure of that," Miss Olegario said. "But if they did, wouldn't you be upset?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't cry about it," Zim frowned.

Miss Olegario cocked her head, thinking. Zim fidgeted in his seat. He was _sure_ that he had not said anything incriminating him of being an alien. He had thought this to be a bad idea, but tomorrow was the weekend and he would be able to focus completely on his plans.

"People are different when it comes to family," she finally said. "And with no parents left, it will be hard on Dib and Gaz."

"Why? They were fine enough before, independent."

"It really isn't my place to say anything else," she pushed a pile of papers in front of Zim. "This is the homework you missed."

"But why?" Zim pushed.

"If you wish to know, you'll have to ask Dib," Miss Olegario stood up. "If he wants you to know, he will tell you. Now Zim, it is my lunch as well. Have a good Christmas break."

He left the room, thinking. _So what? Should I have asked him whether he was okay? Nonsense, I am Zim!  
_

-

"Like I would go and ask Dib,"muttered Zim as he pulled off his goggles. His health teacher must have been as crazy as Dib to think that he would go and ask his worst enemy why. He was Zim! He wasn't going to stoop down and ask the Dib what was wrong with him! He was going to use this period of time to his advantage!

"Done!" he rose his newest device for world domination above his head.

"Is that an apple for me master?" Gir jumped onto Zim's back, hugging his neck which was still sore from Dib choking him.

"Gir!" he coughed.

"Thanks 'ee much!" his robot squeaked as he reached up for his finished masterpiece.

"No Gir!" he tried to pull him off, but that only brought the device down to Gir's level.

"This can go in a sammich!" Gir happily ate it, and also bit down on Zim's hand.

"Gir! Release your master- ouch! GIR! GIR! You ate my plan!"

"We should bake more often a pie lord!" Gir ran off to rattle with metal.

"Gah!" Zim glared at his hand as if that would fix everything. He was about to take a break and now he would have to just continue to work. He leaned over his counter and reached for his first ingredient.

"Ach!" he threw it at the wall. "I need more blue paint!"

-

The local hardware store was closed, so Zim headed to the mall, sure to find a store that sold paint there. He was walking to one of the entrances when he felt a splash of water hit him in the back of his head.

"It burns!" he shrieked, running away from the fountain. He hid behind a tree and looked over to see who had done it.

Sitting at the edge of the fountain was the Dib's sister, one hand skimming over the water.

"You!" he narrowed his eyes at her. She looked over at him and sighed.

"The name's Gaz," she went back to her water activity. Zim fumed, she couldn't think that he was as stupid as to not know her name!

"I know what it is, little worm-baby," he scoffed at the purple haired one.

"But you never call me that. I think you forget," she did not smile at the obvious victory she obviously thought she obviously had. In fact, Zim recalled that he had not seen either of the siblings smile for a few days. _Gaz_ was not as big a deal, considering she never smiled. Well, not as in happy, just as in torturing someone else.

"LIES!" he marched over to her. "Does it matter what I call you?"

"To me it does," she put the water in her hair.

"Eh, okay," Zim shrugged, he couldn't argue with that. He hated it when Dib called him an alien. She did not reply to that, and it left Zim there, standing awkwardly next to her.

"Soooo... watcha' doing?" he asked her.

He knew normally that she would never answer a question like that, but he had read that those experiencing depression after the death of a family member might talk a bit more then usual.

"Hiding from Dib," she responded.

Zim looked at her, then behind him, then around the fountain and over at the mall.

"I've seen better hiding places," he told her.

"I only go to the mall if a new game is out," she did not raise her eyes from the water. "He won't think of coming here."

"Why are you hiding?" he questioned.

"Why do you ask?" she glared at him.

"Because you owe Zim for the water!" he pointed at the fountain as it continued to shoot up in the air and come back down. Gaz rose an eyebrow, but did not argue.

"Dad's memorial service is this weekend," she said.

"And you don't want to go?" Zim cocked his head.

Gaz shook her head. "The funeral is as private as Dib could get it, he's why a lot of people don't even know Dad's dead yet. But some of the scientists will be there, and other people, and I don't want that."

"You'll feel crowded," Zim smirked.

"I'll feel alone," Gaz amended, before fixing her glare at Zim. "Though if you tell anyone about that, I'll make your neck wrap around your feet."

"Not a word," Zim promised quickly. He thought it over before continuing. "Alone? You?"

"I don't know them," she grumbled. "If I don't know them, they shouldn't be there."

"You don't know many people," Zim reminded her.

"I know a few," she muttered quietly.

"One which is the Dib," mentioned Zim. "And he'll be there."

"Dib doesn't count," she growled. They both stayed quiet for a while.

"But you know him," Zim repeated. Gaz did not respond to that, she just pulled her legs up on to the edge of the fountain where she was sitting. Zim frowned as she just seemed to ignore him. He was about to tell her off for doing so when she spoke.

"Zim, will you go to the funeral with me?" she asked him.

"Why?" Zim asked, surprised by the question.

"You knew Dad," she turned her face towards him. "You two got along."

"Yes," Zim mused. "A contrast from you and the Dib."

"You owe it to him to go," Gaz continued. "You were probably one of the only ones who knew what he was talking about when he talked about his beloved science."

"But why do _you_ want me to go?" he asked nervously, bracing himself for any water to come his way.

Gaz stared at him blankly. "I don't. But this obviously isn't about me, or else I'd be the only one there. This is for Dad. Will you come?"

"And waste a day I could stay planning?" Zim tapped his foot, not really contemplating it.

"It's Christmas break."

He bit his bottom lip and did not answer.

"It's tomorrow Zim, you'd only have to be there for an hour."

Zim looked away from her, an obvious refusal.

Gaz groaned. "Look, how about I come over Sunday and help you with whatever? There's only so much I'll do, but I'll come."

That prospect interested Zim greatly. "For how long?" he asked her.

"Only as long as you stay at the funeral."

"Plus an extra hour," Zim bargained.

"Why would I do that?" Gaz cocked an eyebrow.

"It will take that long to get you the right equipment on before I let you touch anything."

"Fine," Gaz shrugged. "But one thing. Don't tell Dib you're coming."

"Only if you don't tell Dib anything about my base," Zim returned.

"Deal," she nodded.

"Deal," Zim grinned at her, a smile which she did not return. Zim did not bother anything about it and turned on his heel to leave.

"It's at 10 A.M." she called after him. "I'll come and get you at nine thirty."

"Fine earth monkey!" he called back. A few more moments more before he spoke again. "Gaz," he added off-handedly.

* * *

I hope this is better timing for you people out there. Who am I kidding, when is there ever time for depressing stuff? _I_ think that this chapter is not as dark as the previous two, but that does not account for the rest of you.

Still, review if you liked, and if you didn't, you can still review, just please be constructive with your critisism.

Happy New Years!


	4. From Me To You

**From Me To You**

Gaz went home. She decided that she would deal with her brother just to be able to get fresh clothes. As much as she could care less for tradition, she would wear all black. She did not want anyone to think that she was insulting her father's memory. That was another reason that she hated this. If it was just her, she knew that her Dad would not mind her wearing whatever she wanted to. Thinking of which, when she went to the memorial service, people would want her to talk. She almost decided to forget the whole thing and not to go at all.

"Gaz," Dib said as she came through the door. "You decided to come home."

She shrugged. "I will need to change clothes if I'm going tomorrow."

Dib's face changed, he was not smiling, but he definitely looked relieved.

"But I only want to go to the burial," she added. "I don't want to sit through a bunch of religious people and science freaks talking." She waited for his refusal so that she could argue with him.

He looked her face over, obviously aware that she wanted to fight. "The burial will be twelve. I ordered pizza, your favourite. You're just in time, it's still hot. I haven't touched it."

Gaz went into the kitchen where Dib gestured. She opened the lid to see he had told her the truth. It was her favourite, she was surprised he remembered, and it was all there piping hot. She pulled out the cutter and cut out a piece. The taste reminded her of when Dad would take her to Bloaty's. The memory brought tears to her eyes, but she managed to blink them back. Chewing on a mouthful of cheesy goodness she cut out another piece, sliding it on a plate. She turned to see Dib, staring out the window. His face looked even more drawn, his body thinner then it had in the past. She jabbed his arm with the plate.

"You don't eat enough, you'll probably faint during the memorial service," she told him.

He took the plate and chewed slowly on the pizza. "And you'd want to miss that?"

"My brother making a fool out of himself?" she asked. "I see that everyday. That's nothing new." She went and sat down at the table. After a minute he joined her and they sat there eating pizza in silence.

-

Gaz woke up in the morning at eight o'clock. Groaning, she hit the snooze button and wondered why on earth or any other planet she set the alarm on for that early on a weekend. Remembering the funeral, she slowly woke up, just lying there and staring at the ceiling. She set it early because she had to watch her father be stuck underground. She would never see him again. And because of this she had to spend thirty minutes getting into her funeral clothing.

She got up, walking over to where she had set it out the night before. She rid herself of her pajamas, hair still slightly wet from her shower at four in the morning. She slid on her midnight blue blouse and then grabbed her black tights and pulled them on while sitting on the ground. She then put on her black A-line skirt and then a black bodice with silver clasps over the blouse. Wrapping her silver belt around all of that and tying her gloves up at her elbows, she went searching for her knee high boots to avoid wearing her ankle boots which were the only ones she could find yesterday. She stopped at 8:50, remembering that she was supposed to meet Zim at nine thirty. She had forgotten to call him, or something to tell him that she was not going until twelve. She decided that if she did not go when she said she was he was not going to come. Sighing in irritation, she grabbed her black leather jacket and headed down the stairs to get something for breakfast.

"You know you don't have to be up this early," Dib said, holding out a plate of toast to her.

"Didn't know how long it would take to put on this thing," she pulled at one of the sleeves, then took the plate. "I thought that I'd go for a walk beforehand."

"Go ahead," Dib fixed his suit's jacket in the hall mirror, by habit, and without even realizing it he grabbed his leather trench coat and put it on over his suit.

"I was going to do it whether you told me to or not," she frowned, putting the plate down on the counter, a piece of toast in hand.

"Right then," he opened the door. "See you at twelve," he went out and closed the door. Gaz looked at her toast, suddenly not hungry. She waited a few minutes before she grabbed an object off the floor and headed out the door.

She did take a small walk before heading to Zim's. She stared at the stupid lawn gnomes that the alien insisted that everyone _normal_ had. Ignoring as they continued to watch her, she rang the door bell.

Much to her dismay, Zim's little robot opened the door, wearing his green dog outfit.

"Masta' say you late!" the robot shrieked.

"Where's Zim?" she asked, only wanting to talk with as little amount of idiocy as possible.

"We're's eating waffles!" Gir grabbed her skirt and pulled her in. Gaz normally would have let Gir pull as hard as possible and still not moved, but she was afraid of getting it ripped. She examined it as soon as Gir let go to make sure that there was no syrup on it.

"You're late," she immediately put her skirt back down as Zim's head appeared around the archway into the "kitchen," a fork in his mouth.

"I don't have to go to the memorial," Gaz said, flattening her skirt. "So we don't have to go until eleven thirty."

"Oh," he looked a bit annoyed. "Gir! Leave her belt alone!"

Gaz turned her head to see Gir working on her belt. He pulled away when Zim yelled at him though, running away screaming about tea time. Zim walked over to her.

"Why do you keep that?" she pointed at the "dog" as he continued to run, even though he was already faced with the wall.

"Why? My Tallest trusted me with him," Zim looked proud. "Want some waffles?"

Gaz opened an eye at him. "What's in them?" She expected some weird alien ingredient to be named, but what he said completely surprised her.

"Oh, there's waffle in them," Zim informed her. "We just ran out of the soap ones. But the hot dog ones are just starting."

Gaz could not believe it. Again, although she could care less, she wondered how he managed to stay unnoticed for this long, even though people were idiots.

"Is that all?"

"Gir was going to do a pizza one," Zim shrugged, not seeming that interested in it.

"I'll have that then," Gaz figured it couldn't hurt to try it.

"Sure then," Zim went back into the kitchen. Gaz followed him, seeing a floating brown thing out of the corner of her eyes. She turned to see that floating moose thing that Zim had said was with him all along. "Gir! Forget your hot dog waffles! No one wants to eat them!"

"Fonzo loves them!" Gir protested, flinging a bit of the hot dog batter at the wall.

"Make the pizza ones Gir," Zim rolled his lensed eyes.

"Pizza!" screamed Gir, doing many random things that Gaz was not sure had anything to do with cooking.

Zim sat down at his place at the table, which was already piled with waffles. He picked up a newspaper and proceeded to read it, a pig hung over the chair behind him. Gaz sat down at the other side, pushing the soap waffles away from herself. She wondered if she should tell Zim that people didn't eat soap, but figured with as paranoid about germs as he seemed, he probably thought that eating soap helped.

"Pizza coming up!" Gir slid a huge plate piled with waffles on it in front of her. They all looked like normal waffles, making her wonder if he even put the pizza in it. Slowly, she picked up the fork that just so happened to be in the top waffle and cut at one, deciding she really didn't need the syrup that only Gir was eating. Especially since he was eating it straight from the bottle and she did not want any of the robot's saliva on her food, considering he was a robot and he shouldn't have saliva in the first place. She stuck it in her mouth and chewed on it experimentally.

Zim looked around the stacks of waffles and at her. "Any good?"

She shrugged. "It's okay." She actually liked it a lot. "And it doesn't seem to be making me sick-"

"Better only eat five then," Zim said suddenly, voice somewhat muffled by the food. Gir came to the table and started stuffing his face, allowing Gaz to see Zim over the waffles.

"I think I'll only have one," she said, cutting into it again.

"Suit yourself," Zim shrugged, throwing the paper out the window. A dog yelped and then there was silence. "Gir! Eat the rest of these waffles!"

There was no need of him saying that, for Gir had already cleaned up the entire table except the two that Gaz pulled off of her plate before Gir ate them and the plate. Gaz had a good look at what Zim was wearing, which was his everyday since skool clothing. They couldn't have been the same ones, considering the little he had grown at least would have made those a bit too small, but they looked the same.

"Your not wearing that are you?" she pointed at his uniform.

Zim stared at her finger, then where she was pointing. "Yes I am," he nodded, as if just sating someone's curiosity.

"No," Gaz glowered at him. "You are not wearing that to a funeral."

"Why not?" Zim glared back at her. "This is what Zim wears!"

"Not to a funeral is that what Zim wears," she slammed her hand on the table.

"Oh?" Zim scoffed. "And what will Zim wear?"

"You'll have to wear a suit to the funeral," she put another piece of waffle in her mouth, signaling the end to any debate.

"And where will Zim get one of these, suit-es?" he asked her.

"Suit," she corrected. "And I guess we'll just have to go and buy one."

"You think that you'll get Zim in a suit?" Zim bristled. He then stopped and thought about it. "What do suits look like?"

"Try one, you might like it," Gaz said sarcastically, finishing her waffle. Zim appeared to be arguing about it to himself, but she ignored that as she glared at Gir, who was staring at her. "Come on, we only have two hours to get you a suit."

Zim scowled. "Fine."

Gaz headed for the door, stopping and turning towards Zim. "You have money for this right?"

"Yes," he replied, annoyed.

"Good," she responded, going out the door.

"Gir, be good and stay in the house today," she heard Zim command behind her. Gir squealed something she could not decipher, and neither, it seemed, could Zim as he just closed the door behind him.

They walked in silence, Zim with his normal army drill like walk. Neither of them tried to bring up a conversation, which Gaz was glad for, since she did not want to bring Zim to the funeral a tangled mess. They found themselves back at the mall. The fountain which she had been sitting at before was not working, most likely because of the frozen temperatures of the night before. It was December alright, even though it had not snowed yet. Gaz felt the cold morning air go straight up her legs, berating her for not finding those knee high boots. She wished she remembered to put on some stockings instead of tights.

They finally came up to a store that had suits called (taken out for copyright purposes). Gaz went up to the front counter.

"That guy needs a suit," she told the guy there, pointing back at Zim. "Measure him and get the one closest to his size."

The guy rose his eyebrows. "What does a skool kid need with a suit?"

"Just do it!" Gaz growled at him.

The guy gulped. "Yeah, first we need to do the measurements of your friend-"

"He's not my friend," she told him, going back over to Zim.

"Go with him, he'll see which one is your size," she went to sit down on the bench.

Zim's eyes widened. "What all does this measuring entail?" As she didn't answer, he growled. "Oh you wretched-" Fortunately for Zim the employee pulled him back before he could actually say something to get on her violent nerves.

She looked up as she heard the man ask for the amount of money that the suit was. Zim had thankfully stayed in his suit so she did not have to make him change back. He walked over to her, fuming. She looked him over. Despite his stupid wig, she would have to say that he did not look half bad. She pushed that thought out of her mind as he looked down at her on the bench.

"Well, at least you don't look so bad that I'd have to kill you," she said.

"I hope you're happy with what that earth monkey did to Zim!" he exclaimed.

"What?" she looked up at him. "Did he molest you?" She almost felt like smiling at that comment, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"He poked me with a stick!" he shouted.

"Uh huh," Gaz got off of the bench and looked for her watch, which she remembered that she wasn't wearing. "What time is it?"

Zim brought up his own watch. "Ten hours and fifty-three minutes." He had started wearing a watch when he had begun to be able to say the time without a clock around. He did not find that _normal_.

"Right," she sighed, wondering what she could do in forty minutes. "I guess we could wander the mall, go to a wig store..."

"Zim does not want to 'wander the mall'!" Zim exclaimed, folding his arms.

"Well, too bad," she headed down in the direction she last remembered any wigs in. She figured while she was giving Zim a new look, he could use a better hairstyle, since any hairstyle would be better then his current one. She heard Zim grumble, but he followed her.

"Here you go," she said, stopping at a window with faceless heads wearing fake hair.

"A wig store?" Zim looked at the name of it. "Why on Glorfintchon did you come here?"

"To get you a new wig," she pulled his wig forward as he grabbed it to prevent her from pulling it off.

"Zim does not want another wig!" Zim protested.

"Well, Zim didn't want to wander the mall either, and look what he's been doing," Gaz stepped in to examine the wigs. "I think we'll stick with black to cover your antennae..."

"What antennae?" Zim asked loudly, as if people had heard her in the first place. She threw one of the wigs at him."What makes this better?"

"It doesn't have pointy hair!" she yanked off his wig, causing him to put the other one on to hide his head. She examined her choice. Sure, it made him look a bit unruly, but it was near one hundred percent better then his previous head gear. She decided that would have to do.

"Look who's talking!" Zim poked at her hair. Gaz just was about to strangle him, but he tripped over his other wig which she had dropped on the floor. She grabbed the necessary money out of his pocket.

"A wig for him," she told the person on the counter, counting out bills.

-

"I'm thirsty," Gaz was not really thirsty, she was just now curious how much money Zim normally carried with him. Zim did not seem aware of her curiosity and just started to look around.

"There're sodas over there," he pointed.

"I don't want a soda," Gaz shook her head. "I want some hot chocolate."

"Hot... chalk-o-lat?" Zim asked, looking confused.

"Hot chocolate," Gaz corrected. "It's a drink, most normal for this season. Didn't you read up on stuff like that when you were pretending to be Santa?"

"No," Zim responded simply. "But I supposed if everyone else drinks this, _hot chocolate_, we must go and get some as well."

"Good then," she pulled him into a cafe and up to the front. "Two hot chocolates," she told the person behind the counter. It took three minutes of waiting (of which Zim was not very patient) before they were handed their drinks. Gaz sipped at hers slowly while Zim took an experimental sniff at it.

"Watch out, it's hot," she said without much thought. Zim nodded and wrapped his hands around it, seeming just as cold or colder then Gaz was. Gaz rebuked herself for that comment, it would have been fun to see Zim burn his weird, serpentine tongue. She headed outside, deciding that mall (now that Zim was starting to like it) was getting a bit crowded for her tastes. The last time it was this crowded, someone made her drop her pizza (Dib). He payed immensely for his foolishness.

"This is good!" Zim said surprised, finally sipping at the chocolate, he then proceeded to gulp the contents down, as if drinking it quickly would savor it.

"And people say women like chocolate," she watched him down the warm liquid. He proceeded to cough as it must have slightly burnt his throat. "Idiot."

"Very good," Zim looked at the Styrofoam cup, completely ignoring the fact that he had been in pain a few seconds before. "I must get more of this, hot chocolate."

Gaz stared at her cup, remembering she wasn't really thirsty. It tasted good, but for some reason-

"Here," she handed her cup over to Zim. He gleefully took it (without thanks) and started to drink it more slowly.

"Zim?"

"Yes?" he looked over at her.

"I already drank that. Germs." She watched as he was between throwing the cup in the air and taking another sip. He looked lost, but very afraid of the germs that she had mentioned. While he was nervously contemplating that, though Gaz thought it would have been easier for him to go and buy more hot chocolate, he ran into someone coming out of the alleyway.

"Watch where you're goin' man!" the guy spat, missing Zim by a mile and hitting Gaz's boot. She felt in need to intervene for righteous punishment, but Zim was already about to attack.

"Watch where I'm going? You need to watch! You are faced with your future slave master! Apologize to Zim!"

"I think not," the man grabbed a hold of Zim's shoulder, though that caused him to have to bend down. "Look boss! Another idiot!"

"You tore my coat, jacket thing!" Zim pulled at a single loose thread.

_Great, a stupid gang,_ Gaz wanted someone to pay for her shoe, but decided not to get herself into a mess that might be a little too big for her to get out of.

"Be a gentleman! Don't forget we have a lady in our presence as well!" the person who spoke, "Boss," and five other thugs came out, thinking that they looked cool.

"Lady? I don't see any ladies?" Zim looked at the seven of them, then at Gaz.

"No Zim, you're wrong," Gaz stepped forward next to him. "I see eight of them."

All of them frowned except for Zim, who was already frowning and had not done the math to realize that he had been included in that statement. Then, one of the guys laughed.

"I like her boss. Hey, little man, when your girlfriend breaks up with you, be sure to let me know."

"Girlfriend?" Zim asked. "Heh? Of... of course that would never happen!" He turned to face Gaz quickly. "What's a girlfriend?" he whispered.

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Look," she eyed the guy holding Zim's right arm. "We have somewhere to go, so either you let go of him, or you wish you never heard of gravity."

"Oooooh, tough talk," the first one said. "I agree, I like you. Very feisty. But this guy would have to be out of the way," he lifted Zim up by the arm, which proved to be a fatal mistake.

Gaz was about to do something, but Zim proved to be faster then she, which was also a surprise, considering she could normally outdo Zim in anything he challenged her to. His pak, which she knew of because of Dib, brought out his mechanical legs (another Dib discovery) and skewered the person in front of him, who hadn't even had enough time to change his face. When Zim pulled it out of his chest, his face turned to one of shock as he let go of the alien and dropped to the ground. Zim brought a few more things out of his pak, a few that consisted of lasers as he shot the others as some attempted to run. In only a few seconds, they were all dispatched. Gaz couldn't help her eyes widen at the carnage. Not that blood was normally an issue for her, it was more of the timing. First, if Zim could have done this he should have been able to take over the earth a long time ago. Second, they were dead. Dead, just like her father, from no wish of their own. Just a turn of luck that caused them to bump into the wrong people.

Zim patted himself down, not a speck of blood on him. "Annoying Earthenoids..." he muttered.

"You killed them," Gaz said in a monotone, kneeling down next to the guy who had gotten one of Zim's mechanical appendages in him. She was very careful to hold her skirt up to not get it in the blood, her shoes just outside of the puddle.

"I heard that gangs are not very important, so I'm not worried of anyone tracking them to me," Zim shrugged. "They were asking for it! This is what happens to those who mess with Zim!"

"They were just stupid!" Gaz shouted down at the corpse. "Stupid Humans!" She felt the tears on her face, though she knew at any other time she would care less for these people. "You had no right to choose that they died today!" She felt her nails dig into her palms. _Just like that person had no right to end Dad's life! Stupid chemicals! No right at all!_

It was quiet for a while. "I don't understand what you are-"

"You murdered them just as well as that idiot murdered Dad!" she screamed at him. Again, she attempted to pull herself back together as she wiped the tears off of her face, standing up. She gathered in a breath, letting her frozen breath back out. "We're going to be late," she said, going down the sidewalk.

* * *

Ah, and Fonzo makes another cameo appearance. Don't you just love Fonzo?


	5. At Your Funeral

**At Your Funeral**

She entered the church, feeling completely out of place. She could still tell Zim was behind her, or at least he was when she entered the church. Her brother was up at the front, looking into the coffin. She walked up to him, trying to ignore her father, just lying there. It wasn't right. He had to be doing things, he had to go to work and not come home until late. He had to tell her to listen to her insane brother's ramblings. If he didn't tell her to, who would?

"Gaz," Dib managed, turning towards her. "You almost didn't make it in time. I- I asked them to wait a bit longer, just in case you wanted..." He drifted off as she didn't acknowledge him. How could she? Dad was dead. He was the only one that she could stand on this planet, how could she live without that anchor? Dib was the only family she had left, and as much as she hated him, he was the only familiar thing in this church that she could cling to. She would rather be stuck with her brother then anyone else outside of this church.

"I don't want to see him like this," she whispered through a raw throat. "Dib, I just can't," she closed her eyes and bowed her head down, trying to get the image out of her head. She felt a hesitant hand pat her shoulder.

"That's alright Gaz. Come on, let's go outside."

She allowed Dib to lead her out, just so she could keep her eyes closed and keep the tears inside. There were so many strangers here, she couldn't show this in front of them. Gaz opened her eyes when she felt them walking up hill. She remembered this place, Dib was leading her where their Dad was to buried, and she already knew it. She wondered just how much longer it would take before her whole family was buried here. There had only been the four of them, no more. Now that she could see with no danger of breaking down, she pulled away from Dib, who did not argue. She stared at the hole in the ground that she felt would consume her.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"Gaz?" he asked, not actually sure what to do now.

"Zim?" Dib asked incredulously, turning to face him. "What are you doing here?"

She looked up at him, reminding him that the Dib was not to know of their deal or he might stop Gaz from helping him tomorrow. He shifted nervously. "Because I wanted to, Dib-stink. Your father was very intelligent and interesting, for a hyuman."

"I doubt that," Dib snorted.

"He was a better man then you'll ever be," Zim sneered back at his enemy.

"You aren't welcome here," Dib growled. "Go to your base and plan some human destruction plan that will most likely fail. We don't need this today."

"We?" Zim questioned. "I think you mean you, Dib-worm. I don't think that your sister minds me being here as much as you do. It is a bit-"

"Just don't interrupt the proceedings Zim. Please just be quiet," Dib turned away from Zim and back towards the casket that was being brought. A deep, ragged breath was taken before he continued. "Please don't mess anything up."

"The only one I'd bother to bother here would be you," Zim crossed his arms. "You, and your enormousness head!"

"My head is not big!" Dib snapped at him, seeming more furious then usual.

"If you ignore it, it might go away," Gaz said.

"I doubt it, something with so much mass couldn't disappear unless by force," Zim stepped up beside Gaz, to get as far away from the Dib as possible and still be at the funeral.

"I wonder what would happen if I ripped off that wig of yours..." Dib trailed off as he looked at Zim's new hairstyle. "What did you do to it?"

"I decided since all of my classmates have gone through their identity crisis teenage angst period, I should get mine over with before the year is over," Zim explained, feeling that made sense.

"Both of you shut up," Gaz muttered as the others finally came up on the hill. Surprising Zim, Dib listened to her, silencing himself as he watched the proceedings. Zim could not help but watch in fascination at a human funeral. An Irken's funeral would not have taken as long, the body just being disposed of and the pak (depending on the status of the Irken in question) would be placed accordingly. Unless it was a Tallest, no procession would occur. Membrane was not a world leader, he was a scientist who had made a difference. Irken scientists would be forgotten. He, and less important people also buried in this area all had and would have something like this for him.

When he died, would anyone notice? Would anyone grieve as the people here would? Membrane's death even managed to get the normally emotionless Gaz to cry, which disturbed him. Would he make that big of an impact? Zim wondered why this bothered him so, considering once he was dead it really wouldn't matter what people thought of him, but... he really wanted to be remembered.

After the random words were spoken, people were lining up to talk to Membrane. It took Zim a few moments to understand what was going on. It was that _spirit_ that humans believed in. Irkens knew better, that there was no life after death, but humans seemed to believe that it was true. He watched as Dib went up, Gaz still staring at the sky as she had when it had started.

"Dad... I don't blame you," Dib said to the closed casket, laying down a plant on the lid. "I don't blame you for leaving. I wish you... could still be here. I wish I didn't disappoint you," he was crying at this point, making Zim feel uncomfortable. "It isn't fair! You could still be here! I promised myself I would accept this, not like Mom... I want to keep the rest of what I have together. Please, I need to keep her. If I loose her... I don't know. At least you can be happy Dad. I will try hard for you not to be disappointed in me. I will..." Dib broke off, not able to say anymore.

This bothered Zim. It seemed that dead, he had a stronger hold on Dib then he had alive. Dib felt as if he had to do something for someone who was dead. It was also something else. Even when he talked to him on the street, Dib didn't seem this upset. It was as if before was a warning for Membrane's death and this was actually him dying. These human emotions confused Zim, but now he was trying to understand. Not like he was before, judging it, trying to understand it as if he would have with the emotions (for learning purposes, Zim told himself, knowing this might help him with a scheme or two in the future). In thinking like that, Zim felt a small amount of pity for him. Going over to Dib, he patted his arm (a bit hesitantly, of course) as he faced the closed casket.

"I'll never understand it," he said to the casket, feeling rather foolish, for there was no point in talking to a dead person. "Almost every human I've met is a complete idiot, but yet there are a few that constantly surprise me," Zim stopped, trying to think of some other things to say. He thought of it as Gaz told him. He owed it to Membrane to be here, so was that the same as what he should say? "I'll watch these children of yours, only because they're more interesting then any of the other people in the Hi-skool. I don't give any favours lightly, so feel honored!" Zim stopped, feeling foolish that everyone else had put some type of thing on the casket and he hadn't. "I don't feel like giving you earth, Membrane, for that was already your's to begin with."

Zim turned to notice Dib looking at him. It was a strange look that Zim wasn't used to.

"I am an alien, you know," he said to the coffin. He walked away, back over to Gaz, thinking about it. He knew why the Dib's eyes had been strange, despite the tears. There was no hatred in them.

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People had started to leave, done now that they had their final words in. Some people stuck around, not able to believe that soon he would be put underground and would never be heard from again. Gaz finally walked up to him, no one else still standing there. She looked at the boards, now wishing to see her father one last time. But it was too late, it would never open again. She wondered of the existence of souls and whether Dad's would have waited to hear their final words before heading towards the one he most wanted to see. She wondered if he had heard Dib's binding words, which she didn't understand; Zim's promising words, which he probably didn't understand and she knew he wouldn't keep. Whether he would hear her words and come back. Dib was not going to try that again.

"I love you Dad," she said, reaching in her pocket. She pulled out her Game Slave, dented from hitting the ground. She set it on his casket, knowing that he would understand. A speck of snow fell on to it's screen from the thick sky.

Now, only if she could.

She watched the case with her father's body go into the ground. In a few days, people would know that he was dead. It would not take that much longer before they found out this is where he was buried, in a graveyard. It was nothing special, nothing made this place stick out so people would know instantly that the famous Professor Membrane was buried here. The only thing that made this place different then any other place that he could have been buried, was that the only person he truly loved in his life rested here. Right next to the crowded hole, was a tombstone. The tombstone that Dib now stood by, as if the memory of the woman under him would give him the courage to continue.

**To Peg**

**A wonderful mother**

**The love of my life**

**We will be together always**

The most emotional her father had ever been. The time when she had known him.

"Let's go Dib," she said to him, just continuing to walk by, knowing there was no stopping now. She passed by Zim, not giving him a glance. Dib followed her, though he stopped at Zim for a minute. She waited at the bottom of the hill, the first snow of the season piling up. Glancing up, she saw a dark individual staring at her.

"My condolences for your losses," he said in a familiar voice. Then he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

I guess one would be happy to be buried by their loved one.

But only the dead know.

Next update will be next month most likely, unless I recieve a huge amount of reviews threatening me to do so sooner. Just do not threaten me please, that is not very nice.


	6. Million Tears

**Million Tears**

"Thank you Zim, even if you didn't mean it," Dib held his shoulder for a second before heading after Gaz. Zim stood there for a few seconds, not sure what to do. Gaz acting strange was one thing, but Dib being... not... not nice to him was... he didn't know what to think about it. He scowled for his lack of professionalism in this situation. Death was normally never a complicated thing for Zim to understand. Why was this different? He started to head back to his base.

Was it because he shouldn't have anything to do with this? He didn't kill him, he was not _related_ to him. If Gaz hadn't asked him, if Dib wasn't his enemy, he would never have batted an eye at Membrane's death, despite the fact that he meant what he said about Membrane being one of the few intelligent beings on this filthy planet. If only he wasn't so set on his scientific ways he would have been able to see through Zim's wonderful disguise. But that was a good thing, that he hadn't.

Zim found himself in town, heading towards the grocery store. He blanked out on why he had come this far, but then he remembered the taste of chocolate in his mouth as he went in the store to buy the stuff to see if he could make it at home. He came out with the ingredients and another Styrofoam cup of the sweet drink. It would be a shame, he thought sipping at it, that this would be gone if he completely annihilated the planet.

"Hey Gir," he shut the door behind him.

"Masta'! You's home!" Gir ran up and hugged him. Zim allowed him that (since it would be difficult with his hands full) and looked at the mess Gir had made of the base. The only consolation about that was that meant most likely Gir had stayed in the house the entire time.

"Get off Gir!" he commanded, walking forward with Gir hanging off of one leg. He put his groceries down on the table, wiping the condensation off of his non-absorption gloves on Gir's head and looking over the milk. At first he had balked at the idea of such a disgusting drink, but he noticed that there was a substitute for normal milk. This was also called milk, but it couldn't have been the same thing, not being the lumpy drink that they had in skool. And _this _carton had to be refrigerated, unlike what he coughed up at skool. He went over to the fridge (which no longer had a toilet in front of it, he had finally discovered that it was supposed to go in a different room) put it in and plugged the refrigerator in so it would get cold.

By this time Gir had gone off towards the television, saying that he and Minimoose just had to watch the Scary Monkey show, the last episode had been a cliffhanger. Zim put his head in his hands and rubbed his forehead. He lost a half-days worth of work and now he couldn't even think of something to work on. He stared at the kitchen sink for a while, trying to see if that would give him any great ideas.

-

Minimoose squeaked louder in his antennae, causing Zim to come out from under the sink.

"I decided to come early," Gaz said, back in her normal outfit. "Since Irkens don't sleep. I don't ever want to have to come here again, so let's get started."

She didn't ask what he was doing, which made Zim wonder if she was back to normal. Most likely, she was not, but was just trying to act like it. Zim decided to think that way instead of believing that they would have gotten better by now. Humans just seemed to hold on to things that they couldn't do anything about.

"I'm fixing the sink!" he told her, closing the doors beneath it and grabbing a mug out of a Gir-proof door. Zim did have a Gir proof door, but he could never find out how exactly he Gir-proofed it, so it was only random things throughout the base that Gir couldn't get into. Gaz just looked at him.

"When you turn this faucet, hot chocolate comes out of the tap!" he turned the right tap and hot chocolate came out of the faucet and into the mug.

"I think your a bit obsessed over this," Gaz had her arms folded, watching as Zim filled the mug up to the brim. "I'm glad I didn't tell you about whip cream."

"What's whip cream?" Zim's antennae came up as he sipped at his chocolate heaven.

"Never mind," she shook her head. "Didn't you have something you wanted me to help you with?"

"Yes, you owe Zim four hours," Zim nodded, face half hidden by the yellow mug.

"Four?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Remember? We agreed on an extra hour, just in case I had to get you in some equipment to start." He checked out her current outfit. "Is that what your wearing? I liked what you wore yesterday much better."

"I don't dress up for you Zim," she growled.

Zim narrowed his eyes. "Zim wasn't asking you too!" he hissed back. "Now, are you going to help me or not?"

"Yeah," Gaz continued to look at the faucet as Zim went to fill up another mug. "What does this tap do?" she asked while turning the left one.

"IT BURNS!" Zim screamed, pulling back from the water that came out, "Gir! I thought I told you not to connect the water pipe!" He writhed on the floor, trying to get the burning feeling to subside. Something dark covered his vision.

"Just wipe it off," came Gaz's annoyed tone. Zim quickly grabbed it and rubbed his hand fiercely. It surprisingly worked, the water all gone. He looked to see a tear in Gaz's coat that he had made while in his pained form. He set the coat behind him on the table.

"You won't need that in my lab," he told her, making a mental note to tell the computer to mend it when she couldn't hear him.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"A plan that involves the mind control of small, _cute_ woodland creatures! Ingenious! None other then Zim could have thought of it!"

Gaz's face stayed blank, but her eyes seemed a rage of emotions. "And how are you going to plan to do that?"

"A substance replaced into their food source that will allow me control over their feelings. But you don't need to know that."

"Right," Gaz replied, albeit with sarcasm in her voice. Zim didn't understand exactly why, but he never did with Gaz, "I don't need to know."

"Yes, just as Zim told you," he nodded in approval. "Now, to my base." He walked over to the cupboard, just a few years ago growing out of the trash can. Not that it being small was a problem in the first place, when Zim could still fit, for Dib had a difficult time chasing him down there with his tall lanky body. Gaz followed him. It was just barely big enough to fit both of them, but Gaz wasn't that big herself, only at 5' 3'' and Zim was used to shifting himself to work in his personal elevator. He was stuck somewhat pressing himself against her side and hip, which he muttered in irritation at, but all she did was glare at him. No threats, so Zim considered himself lucky. They headed down and reached Zim's experimental section.

"This way!" Zim started towards the small woodland creatures which were his test subjects.

"Wait, where's the protection suit things?" Gaz asked.

"Zim has no need of such things," Zim pulled out some of the chemicals that he would start with.

Gaz snorted. "Stupid one hour extra..." she grumbled, stepping beside him.

"You will start with this," Zim began to explain what he wanted done. She commented on some of his methods, but overall did what he said. She was a very good worker, despite her occasional comments. He had a feeling he was going to get a lot done today.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This isn't going to work," she told Zim as he handed her what he wanted her to do next.

"Yes it will! I know it will!" he shouted, as he seemed to do a lot when he was experimenting. Gaz rolled her eyes. He had said the exact thing last time. She felt like it was becoming a routine of failure. Not that mind controlling woodland creatures was a weird goal to start with, though it was humorous to hear him suggest such a thing, she couldn't understand where Zim got his strange ideas.

And strangely, this reminded her of him.

"Ah-ha! A Genius!" Zim appeared to make some progress.

_Dad._

He would do things that no one believed could be done. He proved them wrong every time. He would never give up, not until he found the answer. But he never found the cure that she wanted him to.

He never found the cure for death.

It was Dib who had tried to find it. He was only five and yet he got everything he thought he needed to be able to bring her back from the dead.

"No!" Zim shouted as the mixture blew up in his face, making him cough.

_Mom._

She could barely remember her, her face, her smell, her voice, but what she could she clung on to. Dib asked her to help with the summoning and she had agreed. She was only three, but she had understood the amount of risk with toying with the dead, what it could cause. She didn't care though, neither of them did. They wanted their mother back, they wanted to see their father home, not retreated into his corner of science. They had tried and Dib had failed. Dad had to save them both from the monsters that Dib had brought up. He called them sick dogs and disposed of them himself, not mentioning until later they were zombies. She turned farther from Dib after that, burying herself in her games. She was devastated that it had failed. That Mom was never coming back.

Gaz never thought about it until now, but Dib was even more devastated then she was. It might have been because he had more memories of her, or because it was his plans and his ideas that had failed, but he was never the same after that. Before, she remembered that he somewhat listened to reason, especially from their father. But after that he would not take no as an answer, he would not give up unless he was physically forced to leave the path he had chosen. It had changed them all.

Dad's death would change them both again. Could she grow up enough to not be so selfish?

"Gaz?" Zim's voice broke into her reverie, wet tears stinging her cheeks. She sat down on the ground where she had dropped the empty beaker, resting her chin on her left arm and knees while picking up the pieces with her right.

"What Zim?" she asked.

Zim stood there awkwardly. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm NOT!" she shouted at him. "It's... difficult, okay Zim? Not like you would know, like it matters to you."

"It... matters..." Zim said softly, haltingly. "Do you need to go home?"

"I don't want to see Dib! He's just trying to make a stupid family out of us," she calmed down, wiping the tears off her face, thinking it over. Dib was not home. There was no one there.

"This has been fun, little Gaz," she felt herself being lifted up by the arm, "But you seem to be slowing my process," a complete contrast of what he said ten minutes ago. They were back in the elevator, pressed against each other. When they hit the top, he pushed her out. He was about to go back down, but then he hesitated.

"Call me, if you want to do it again," he said, before heading below. She stood there for a moment, trying to understand what just happened. Then, she left.

Only when she got home did Gaz remember Zim's actual concern for her when she was crying.

And she had left her coat behind.

* * *

Oh, decisions, decisions.

Not that I want to torture anyone, but I am running out of chapters to upload. Only four more that I have to edit and check for spelling! I really need to type more so I do not have to worry about it. Hopefully, it will be updated at it's usual pace, so do not worry.


	7. Scar Tissue

**Scar Tissue**

She remembered, when she was very little, waiting at the top of the stairs for her to tuck her in at night. Or for any other reason, she would never go searching for her, she would wait and sooner rather then later Mom would come to find her. When Gaz saw her on the stair, she would run down, contradicting the fact that she had waited up at the top for a reason. She was not used to going after someone to get what she wanted, they were supposed to come to her. It was hard to learn that life was not like that, that no one could ever step in and replace the mother she had lost.

And yet Gaz found herself sitting at the top of the stairs, waiting. It was ten o'clock. Though she was not worried, she was curious. Dib seemed so obsessed over the family thing he kept on mentioning that she was surprised he was not home yet, no note mentioning where he was. Gaz was hungry, but she did not near the phone for an order of pizza. She was near afraid of opening the fridge, for any _food_ had barely been put or touched in that appliance, only drinks and ice. The money issue over this situation bothered her, because she never had to think about it before. It seemed an insult to her Dad to have to think of money whenever it came to anything about him. It also seemed ridiculous that all of his money went up with the lab, considering it had blown up many a time before and nothing this drastic happened all at the same time.

She heard the door open, but she was no longer a child. She stayed where she was on the staircase as two people spoke down below. She did not even bother to peek down and see who he was talking to. In fact, she did not even move, it would have been hard to tell whether she was even listening.

"-remember Dib, at eleven sharp."

"Don't worry Bill, I'll work it out. See you tomorrow."

The door shut and a heavy sigh sounded from the hall. She heard him mutter a few words; talking to himself, something he never grew out of. Heavy steps started up the stairs, which paused when he noticed her sitting there.

"Whatcha' doing Gaz?" he asked her, moving the strap on his shoulder to a more comfortable position.

"Where were you?" she ignored his question, for in all truth he did owe her an explanation first.

"I got a job," he replied. "It's just at nights, until the lab is fixed."

That grabbed all of Gaz's attention. She couldn't help but actually look straight up at Dib when he said that. "The lab?"

"The lab," Dib nodded. "Too many people had jobs there... too much of Dad's effort went into that place. I'm taking over when it's rebuilt."

"You're... taking over... real science?" Gaz could not help her confused expression.

"Yeah," he bowed his head down. "You should probably go to bed before midnight Gaz. Just a suggestion." He walked right by her, Gaz just continued to stare at the space ahead of her. Should she?

"Dib?"

He stopped at the door to his room. "Yeah Gaz?"

"Go-" she paused at her command. "Would you mind doing me a favour?" she breathed out loud.

"A favour?" he asked, but did not turn to her. "Sure, I'll do it."

"Could you go to Zim's and get my coat?"

"You're coat?" at that he turned his head to look at the back of hers. "Why is it at Zim's?"

"You said you'd do it," she ended any conversation about it with that, continuing to gaze down at the stairs ahead of her.

"I did, didn't I?" Dib muttered. "Zim's..." She heard him open his door. "I'll do it first thing tomorrow."

And the door shut, leaving Gaz sitting alone on the stairs again.

And for some reason, it did not seem to bother her that much anymore.

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He did not know why it was so hard to return it. Zim sat on the swings (after he had scared away the little kids that had first occupied the playground) staring ahead as he found himself going higher and higher. He had mended her coat, so no sign of the tear was at all possible to see. But for some reason, he found it difficult to head to the siblings' house. After hours of contemplation, Zim realized it was because it bothered him to see someone as strong as Gaz break down so easily. It was ridiculous! You would not see a soldier of the Irken Empire breaking down so easily! It confused Zim how he had started taking her so much like any of the Irken soldiers. Zim had even started to respect Dib for his will to keep going no matter what the rest of his race said.

So lost in thought, Zim did not hear or see the person getting into the swing next to him.

"Zim."

Zim's feet skidded through the bark chips as he halted the swing. Straddling the swing next to him was Dib, both hands clinging on to the chain ahead of him.

"What are you doing here Dib?" Zim frowned. "Still playing with children's toys?"

"I was looking for you," Dib narrowed his eyes. "Your robot said you weren't home, but what I was looking for wasn't there either, so I had to find you."

"And what are you looking for?" Zim asked.

"Gaz left her coat at your house, she asked me to get it back."

"She did?" Zim tried unconvincingly to pretend not to know what Dib was talking about. "Oh, yes, she did. Well, it's still there, I'll go get it for you if she wants it back so badly. But if she really wanted it, why'd she leave it, huh?"

"What was she doing at your house Zim?" Dib did not seem to care much about Zim's speculation. Zim opened his mouth to tell Dib about their deal, but found that he didn't want to.

"I tricked her into coming to try and see whether or not she could help with my newest diabolical plan! But you'll never know!" Zim stood up on the seat of the black rubber, pointing at the Dib's obvious defeat.

"You... Right," Dib just looked at him strangely. Zim snorted and sat back down on the swing.

"This stupid planet is cold," Zim grumbled, feeling the winter chill come over him again.

"Maybe you should wear something else for once," Dib commented, turning in the swing to face the opposite direction then Zim. "Or at least a sweater."

"A sweater?" Zim scoffed. "Like Zim will stoop to using primitive techniques of your people!"

"It seems to work well for us," Dib shrugged, kicking at the ground, causing his swing to start... uh, swinging. Zim felt the strange craving for something sweet, like the substance that now came out of his faucet. It almost seemed a shame to destroy the planet and rid the universe of the secrets of the hot chocolate.

"Would you mind working at a hot chocolate factory?" Zim asked Dib. Dib turned to look at Zim and rose an eyebrow.

"Now that's a stupid question," he smirked. Then he seemed shocked as his left hand came up and felt his face, seeming surprised at the sudden smile.

In fact, that was the first time that Zim could recall him smiling from anything he had said. And the first time at all since... since when?

"Is that a yes?" he asked the human. Dib stayed quiet for a while, facing away from him.

"Of course not, I have more important things to do then that. And there are no hot chocolate factories on earth Zim."

"There will be when Zim rules!" Zim declared, putting his arms in the air for victory. His Tallest would be pleased with the hot chocolate. He hopped off the swing and turned towards Dib. "Now, doesn't your sister want her coat back?"

Dib's eyes raised to study Zim. "Yeah, yeah she does."

Zim and Dib walked side by side down the sidewalk (maybe _that's_ why they called it a sidewalk). Dib stayed silent, his face morose again, as if berating himself for smiling. Zim would have beaten Dib up about it, but lately he hadn't felt like doing that. After that scene at the funeral Zim felt as if the relationship between them had changed. And it didn't seem to be revolving around their fight anymore. To be honest, Zim had not been able to focus on his plans of world conquest recently. But as Zim was normally far from honest around people, it was far from noticeable.

Zim opened the door, ignoring the hole in the ceiling from where Gir had most likely disappeared. Dib stopped at the doorway, though Zim could see the inner struggle very clearly within his rival. He wanted to go in and study anything that Zim had out, but for some reason had told himself not to. Zim frowned as he went into the kitchen and took the coat off of the table. He stood there for a moment, feeling the fabric through his fingers.

Why was he being so docile? Why was he being so... nice?

"Here," Zim handed it over, and Dib took both the coat and the blue mug in surprise.

"What is this?" as Dib looked over the mug and it's brown depths in suspicion. "Hot chocolate?"

Zim wrapped his own fingers around his yellow mug and did not respond. "Drink up earth monkey, you aren't taking that mug with you."

Dib inhaled some of the steam as if to test it. "It's not poisoned or something, is it?"

"Ungrateful worm-baby," Zim scowled. "Mine came from the same source, and I'm not poisoning myself."

"Oh," Dib's mouth shaped a small o and he stared back at the drink. Finally, probably hearing the growl coming up from Zim's throat, he sipped at it. "It's... good."

"What did you expect from Zim?" Zim asked him. "Now do you reconsider my offer of working for me?"

"Of course not Zim, you'd have to take over earth first," Dib's mouth was not smile yet, just near, but his eyes were already there.

"You wait for it," Zim grinned at the playful banter.

"I am," Dib nodded, handing over the empty mug.

"I am making great progress Dib," Zim warned him. "You're light manner on the subject you will rue one day."

"You kidding Zim?" Dib rose an eyebrow. "I'm the only one who takes this far too seriously and you still can't manage a simple world conquest. One against one is fair, but I thought you were supposed to be advanced. I'm beating you."

"LIES!" Zim denied. "Out of the house, Dib-stink! You will not discover any plans today!"

"Sure I won't Zim," Dib nodded, a smile again coming on to his face. "In fact, I've already found out what you are doing. By tomorrow, the plan will be absolutely useless."

"No!" Zim gasped. Could it be true? Was it possible that Dib had already discovered what he had planned?

"Yep," Dib turned and went down the front steps, where Gir was outside. He squealed and waved frantically at Zim and Dib before he turned, ran up into a tree, past the branches and into the sky. "See you later Zim!" Dib ducked under the laser of a lawn gnome and started to go to his house.

"The Dib is more trickier then I thought!" Zim exclaimed, leaning against the closed door behind him. Then he paused.

"But I don't have a plan..."

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Gaz found herself cleaning. It was not a chore that she ever considered doing, but it took her mind off of things, made her concentrate. She actually liked it, for some reason. The thought of that sort of disgusted her, but she finally just ignored that and continued. She started in her room, where there really was not much to do, considering she was pretty neat to begin with. A bit of dusting led to the rearranging of other things. Every once in a while, she would come across an object that would stir up memories of her father, but she pushed them to the back of her mind and the shelf and continued again.

She stopped in front of her father's room. Had anything been moved in there? Had Dib done anything to the place they had both been forbidden? She did not even graze the doorknob. She had never gone in there when he was alive, it would be frightening now that he was dead.

After that she decided to clean the kitchen. It was not as if she would rather do something else. It was not as if she had something that she absolutely had to do. So, Gaz started with the refrigerator, which really was not as bad as she had thought it was. She did have to dispose of half of it's contents. The counters were next, then the sink and the floors, not going in any particular order. Then the cupboards. She found a bag of bread. Dad's toast bread. She left the kitchen then and went back upstairs.

She stopped in front of Dib's room, pushing the door slightly with a finger, causing it to swing open. She had never really gone into Dib's room, unless she had needed something from Dib and even then she usually waited until he was downstairs to talk to him. It had been a while since she had looked at his room and now curiosity overcame her, her mind needing something to fill it's void.

It was not as messy as it once was, with the books and papers and pictures scattering every empty corner. Pictures of Zim were no longer plastered over the walls, the alien equipment no longer strewn across the bed. In fact, there was only small references to his obsession, a few posters on paranormal, but the amount any person interested would have, not the amount for a fanatic. She tread the floor carefully, for once feeling as if she was entering forbidden territory that had never been the case before. Furrowing her eyebrows in irritation over her behavior, she slid open the closet door, to find the large amount of file cabinets that used to be next to his computer desk stacked on top of each other neatly. She opened one of the drawers to find many of the pictures of Zim nearly without his disguise all filed away neatly. He was hiding it, as if for an inspection.

The realization struck Gaz quickly, causing her to close both doors and leave the room. So, he had meant what he said about the two of them. Why did that strike her as strange?

The living room needed cleaning. Dusting was a big necessity, Gaz was curious on how neither Dib or she had gotten sick from the amount of dust that dwelt there, especially around the television. She pulled out the gaming consoles, which is where she stopped and did not begin again.

Dad had bought her that. _Games teach people hand-eye coordination and make children into better human beings._ She had not played it for a week now. She hadn't played any of it for what seemed like a lifetime. A lifetime since he had died. A lifetime it seemed since she had dreams. The feeling of playing the games came back into her, but she couldn't.

_I just... don't want to.  
_

Gaz dusted it off and pushed it back underneath the television.

A sound came from the door as Dib came in. Gaz sat back and looked back at him.

"Gaz, here's your coat," Dib said, tossing it over to her. Gaz caught her coat, looking over for any strange alien devices, though Dib most likely would have done that before bringing it back home.

"...thanks Dib," she replied, coming off as if she really didn't care on accident. She came across a small part of the coat that had strange stitching. That was not how it was supposed to be. She wondered what exactly had happened to it. She told herself it was Zim... who knows what happened to it. She threw it around her shoulders anyway, the smell of the lemon scented spray cleaner overcoming her. Gaz decided that sooner or later it would go away, whether she wanted it to or not.

But the scar tissue would always remain.

* * *

I like this chapter, but it probably is just because it has Zim and Dib talking again. I think they are funny.

And Gir can run into the sky. That has to be my favourite part.


	8. The Scientist

**The Scientist**

'''-----------------------------------------------------------'''

He watched her sadly. All the good feelings that Zim had brought back were wiped away by her expression, making him feel guilty for being able to forget for one moment. For one moment he had been able to slip from their father's chains.

_Not that he knew they were there._

He headed upstairs to his room. He had not gotten any sleep the night before, finding himself just staring up at his now blank ceiling. With his eleven o'clock job, he would have to get some sleep if just to give a good enough impression. Dib had no idea how long it would take for the labs to be repaired, the people were still doing damage estimates. Not that Dib was in much of a hurry for it to be back in business. The scientists that worked there were busy enough making sure other tests and chemicals were fine and moved until it was safe to bring them back. But there was some things that could not be moved, the place needed to be fixed. And Dib was apparently the only choice for taking the leadership of the Membrane Corporations.

_Just to think, in a bit I'll be condemned to spend my life in real science, just what you wanted. Real funny, Dad._

He lied in bed, staring at the ceiling. He did not even bother trying to go to sleep. He was too busy trying to figure out what he should do next, what he would be forced into doing.

Tomorrow, he would go to the labs.

He had not gotten any sleep, rushing out a few hours later to be picked up by Bill. By early the next morning with the cold of snow, he only managed to collapse on the couch to fall asleep. A trickle of water falling on his face was what woke him up.

Gaz stood over him with a glass of water. She put it upright when she saw his eyes were open.

"I'm going out," she said plainly and without waiting for an answer, left him there. Dib wiped the water off of his face and glasses while sitting up. He smoothed his hair over as he looked over at the clock. Two thirty-eight. He did not even want to think of how he was going to deal with his schedule when skool started up again.

Even though he had a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn't be going back there.

He made it to the site of rebuilding by three. The scientists who once ignored him and did not know who he was, swarmed him with questions and probabilities of this and that. It was almost as if he was Membrane.

Which he wasn't.

_Please don't do this to me._

Finally getting rid of his self-placed escort by giving them other things to do, Dib wandered down past the safely marked areas, down into the still destroyed areas. There was no one else there, Dib finally was alone. Funny, how he didn't want it when he finally had it. He had thought it would be good to have attention.

_Not this way... no..._

He figured that he might not have wanted to be there, where his father died, but for some reason that was not the thing that was bothering him.

"Why did you die Dad? Hasn't it been worse before?"

Dib gingerly set his foot down on the charred black floor. Sliding it back, he made a dark streak on the grey dust. He started shaking, but willed it away. He had to stay strong. Strong for Gaz.

_Hell, when have I ever been strong _for _Gaz? Why should I be strong for Gaz?_

_Because..._

Despite that fault, or maybe because of it, the shaking continued. Dib set his foot back down, only to be echoed with another.

"He died because he was far from careful," drawled another voice. Dib started, wheeling around to face the person who spoke. He was wearing the scientists garb, but Dib recognized his face. "And far from honest."

"Mr. Fortif?" he asked, wondering what he was doing here. Dib felt suddenly cold as he brought out a gun.

"To you, maybe," the scientist sneered. "Others, like your_ father_, might know me as Simmons, Membrane's right hand scientist. But I became weary of him taking more credit then he deserved."

"You-" Dib grasped for breath as he took one step back. He became weary...? His dad's death was not... an accident? "You mean _you_..."

"But he had it that YOU would take over," Simmons spat, stepping forward. "I'm tired of being second, no one ever notices second place!" And with that, he shot off a few rounds, Dib breaking for it. One of the bullets made it's mark in his shoulder, nearly making Dib pitch forward. But he was used to running, if not running away, and continued with the gun shots coming up from behind him.

Dib headed up the stairs, feeling shots nearly hitting his legs. The pain was becoming unbearable. He was nearing the top of the staircase when he tripped on a loose board. Instantly, the ground went out from under him. Splitting pain shot through his body as the shots stopped and Dib found himself tumbling down into darkness.

,,,-----------------------------------------------------------,,,


	9. Fly Me To The Moon

**Fly Me To The Moon**

She found herself on the phone, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for him to pick up. Why she was doing this, she did not know. It just seemed as if anything was better then the gaming system staring at her from next to the television, the one that Dad had given her. He was as good as a distraction as any.

"Hello?" a deep voice came from the other phone's receiver. Gaz narrowed her eyes, though there was no one there to see it.

"Zim?" she said it, though not with much question in her voice. Who else would it be?

"Gaz?" the deep voice sounded surprised. It was quiet for a few seconds before Zim's voice came from it. "Why do you bother Zim?"

"I... was wondering if you would take a walk with me," the suggestion came out of her mouth before she completely thought about it. She had wanted to go for a walk and she would rather take one alone. The problem with that was every time she was alone it gave her too much time to think. She thought about sitting downstairs with Dib, but she did not want to talk to him.

She wanted something to be familiar.

But that definitely was not it.

"What?"

"Never mind Zim," Gaz sighed and hung up the phone. She had no clue what had gotten into her, from always hating and being annoyed of her brother's alien, to not minding him so much.

_That makes no sense, it's not as if we have anything in common._

Instead of berating herself for lying (she never did that anyway) she headed into the living room to see Dib lying on the couch, fast asleep. She stared at him for a while before checking on the clock. Two thirty-seven. She went back in the kitchen and filled up a glass with water. She took a few sips from it before returning to the couch and standing above Dib. Almost from habit, she slowly held out the glass and tipped it, the water flowing over the side and down on to Dib's face.

His eyes opened, most likely from the water trying to get in them. She stopped when she saw her task accomplished.

"I'm going out," Gaz told him plainly. She didn't care much for what he would respond with, considering she really didn't have to tell him in the first place, and she left.

She did not have to tell him, but she wanted to. She wanted something to be familiar, but she wanted to not be pulled away from him.

Maybe... just maybe...

She did not hate Dib as much as she thought she did.

It was no longer snowing as it had that night. The air was still frozen, Gaz's breath made white fog as she exhaled. Streets and sidewalks had been plowed off and the snow removed to peoples' private properties. Overall, it was a normal snow day.

Completely normal. The world had not stopped.

_That's funny._

"I thought you looked familiar."

Gaz stopped and without much interest turned to the person who had spoken. The dark-skinned girl stood about 5'8'' with short back frizzy hair. She wore a tank top over a thin long sleeve shirt despite the weather and jeans with clogs. Despite the lack of uniform, it did not take very long for Gaz to recognize her.

"Sandra, right?"

"And Gaz," Sandra nodded. "You never came back."

"I will, maybe," Gaz shrugged.

"Maybe is a relative term considering how you took it before," Sandra replied. "But whatever."

Gaz felt absolutely relieved that there was someone who wasn't going to ask insistent questions.

"Yeah," Sandra shrugged as well. "Well, that phone number is always open, as I'm suppose to say," she groaned, probably annoyed from hearing it constantly.

"I thought you stayed at the college," Gaz commented.

"I do," Sandra answered. "Does that mean I can't go out when I want?"

"It's a little far for a plain walk," Gaz pointed out.

"Yeah," Sandra grinned. "I was getting batteries, they ran out at the store closest to the college," she held up her purse and shook it, signaling the batteries inside. "So I decided if I had to go anywhere else, I might as well get a discount."

"That's good," Gaz agreed, suddenly remembering that she would have to change the brand of battery she got, for cheaper ones. When she used them again.

"Well, maybe I'll hear from you later then," Sandra shifted her purse on the other shoulder. "I have to head back."

"Hmm," Gaz responded as Sandra just walked off, waving as her back was turned. Gaz didn't watch her walk off, just continued walking, to wherever she was going.

"_You_!" the voice assaulted her from behind, causing her to stop and turn. Zim stood there, each breath escaping his mouth turning into white, though since it was not oxygen or water or anything like that, Gaz could only guess what it entailed. But at the moment she was more surprised at Zim's sudden appearance.

"Zim?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"What is Zim doing here!" he shouted at her. "You called Zim, then you hang up? What was that call, huh? Huh? Changing your mind? No one hangs up on an almighty Irken Invader! But you! _You..._"

He stopped, out of words and out of breath. Gaz just continued to stare at him.

"You wanted to take a walk...?"

Zim's question came out strained, as if he had been kicked in the stomach- or squeedly spooch- or whatever- to say it. He looked confused while saying it too. They both just stood there, staring at each other.

"I am taking a walk," Gaz responded coldly. "See?" With that, she turned and continued onwards.

"You know what I mean!" Zim announced, striding up besides her. "I want answers! You do not request something of Zim then deny him! Zim denies!"

"Shut up Zim," she commanded, not looking at him.

He went silent. Gaz paused and looked over sideways at him.

"Zim?"

The irritated and disguised alien glared back at her. "What? What do you now ask of Zim?"

"Would you do me a favour?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Why?_ He asked himself. _ Why would I do this for her?_ The sparks ceased as he started a damage report on the internal engine propeller's hover chain. One reason came to mind, that he had long wanted to check Tak's ship and discover what she had done with it to make it powerful enough to compete against his base, when Dib decided to use it as such. Repairing it's flight compartments was an easy enough task, and it had nothing to do with inside the earth's atmosphere, so Zim decided even if he did as Gaz requested and make it able to leave the star's system, it wouldn't contrast with his mission.

Which was why he agreed in the first place.

"What do I do?" she asked him. He impatiently waved her off.

"Don't get in the way of Zim!" he exclaimed, continuing damage repair results. Gaz frowned, but all in all backed away and sat on a shelf nearby the spittle's side, where she was not in the way.

"What's space like?" she asked abruptly.

"What has got into your head to make you ask all of these questions?" Zim grumbled.

"What's space like?" Gaz repeated, stronger and louder.

"It's all that stands between the Irken Empire and the destruction of your planet!" Zim frowned.

"I mean the actual place Zim, what's it like?"

Zim scowled as he started to repair the floshtoon substance in the belt. "It's empty space between planets, stars, and random pieces of rock. Happy?"

"No," she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Should've figured," Zim sighed irritably. "Nothing Zim does is good enough, is it?" The room went quiet as Zim continued to work.

"Thank you Zim."

Zim paused completely as he faced up towards her. "'Thank yooooouuuu...?' Are you okay?"

"I already answered that question," she narrowed her eyes.

"Not well enough for Zim's satisfaction," Zim retorted, continuing with his work.

"You wanted me to elaborate...?"

"Yes," Zim agreed. "Yes I did."

"Too bad," Gaz retorted, looking out the garage door.

"You!" Zim announced, feeling his anger surface again. How could this inferior being be such a hassle? "You bother Zim greatly!"

"Glad to be of service," Gaz came back slyly.

"Good," Zim nodded. "You should be happy Zim allows you to help."

"Actually," Gaz continued, "You're helping me."

"No!" Zim refused. "Zim is helping... Dib! And you... you are helping Dib! -I don't understand!" And in saying that he pushed himself away from the ship, reconsidering it again.

"You're helping me," Gaz restated. "What Dib gets out of this is only what I tell him."

"And what are you going to tell the Dib?" Zim questioned.

"Are you going to fix it or not?" Gaz gestured at the ship, eyes landing on Zim.

"Zim said he was, so Zim will!" Zim exclaimed.

He pulled himself back up to the spittle and continued. He went on in silence lasting about thirty minutes.

"You owe Zim now, you know," Zim mentioned off-handedly.

"I was counting on it."

Zim stopped and blinked at her. She seemed surprised herself, but quickly covered it. The sun was hiding itself behind the horizon.

"I have to go inside," Gaz mentioned, though she didn't move, watching Zim. Zim refrained a harsh comeback and thought everything over.

"I'll have to come over tomorrow to finish it," Zim said, standing up.

Gaz didn't look opposed to that, still sitting on the counter, her feet swinging slightly in the air.

"I'll be waiting," she shrugged.

------------------------------------------------------------

She actually could not wait for him to come. He had just left and she was waiting for him to come back. It was strange feeling, but for some reason, she liked it.

Gaz felt a weight being lifted off of her. Her father's death was hard, and maybe she didn't want things to change, but if they had to, the changes could still be good, right? Things could happen and maybe it would even be better.

Dib was doing things she had never wanted from him before. He was trying to take care of her, he was trying to make everything else easier on her, and he wasn't even asking for anything in return. Zim didn't understand, he was acting normal, he was being constant, but for once he was not annoying her to where she wanted to kill him.

Gaz could be nice to her brother. Gaz could spend time with Zim.

She could learn to change.

She would help Dib. He needed it. He had been right, they needed to stick together. A family was only as much as the people in it. He didn't have to know that was how she felt, but Gaz could try to help, try to understand.

And Zim...

The faintest trace of a smile touched the corner of her lip.

Gaz finally entered the house to see the message machine blinking.

"_-Hello? Gaz, this is Doctor H. Taed. This is about your brother-"_


	10. Wish You Were Here

**Wish You Were Here**

"_-Dib, he was brought in by some scientists about an hour ago. He has been shot and we have removed the bullet. You should probably come in."_

Gaz managed to pick up the phone just as the doctor said 'in'.

"What do you mean Dib was shot?" she demanded. There was no response, the phone had already been hung up.

Gaz never thought someone's heart could literally stop while they still were alive.

"Excuse me miss, visiting hours are over."

"Either you let me in," Gaz started, rage storming within her, "Or I make you wish you were never born!"

"You aren't the first person to threaten me girly," the nurse frowned. "One of the others was a burly guy with a gun."

"I make those men cry," Gaz hissed.

"Sorry, but try tomorrow," the nurse continued to close things up behind the counter.

"Let me in!" Gaz shouted, "Dib's in there!"

"Don't mention him," the nurse sighed. "We had to bribe all of those noisy scientists to make them leave. Never has a more popular person come through. What do you want me to tell him?"

"He's my brother!" she exclaimed. Admitting it made her scared again and she had to will the tears back from in front of the hospital staff member.

_How could you Dib? How could you!_

The nurse's face softened. "Oh, you're Gaz?" Gaz managed to nod and the nurse led her through the halls. "Well, come with me, he's fallen asleep, but if you're quiet you can stay with him."

Gaz could hear the lie in the women's tone, but she couldn't tell where it was coming from. He had fallen asleep? Then things were good then, right? But if everything was going to be okay, wouldn't the doctor have assured her of that on the message?

Her own heart beat wildly in her chest. Her eyes had never before felt so wet. How could this have happened? She was going to be a better person!

_Dib, don't do this to me! Please Dib... just don't._

"Here you go, I'll tell the night staff you're in here," the nurse shut the door, the only noise to be heard a constant beeping. Gaz walked over blindly, reaching in front of her until she felt the bed, then going up to where the small lamp beside his bed was. She fumbled with the chain and finally turned it on.

Dib was lying there, breathing through a tube, bandaged as if he had fallen twenty feet. Gaz's breath caught in her throat and all that could come out was a ragged sob. With a trembling hand she moved Dib's one long lock of hair out from in front of his closed eyes.

_Why am I being punished?_

She wanted to say sorry, but she didn't want to give in so suddenly. That would be treating him as if he were already dead.

"Has it really only been a week Dib?" she asked him.

Constant beeping was her reply.

"I can't do this alone," Gaz pleaded.

Beep.

"You were right."

Beep.

"I'm sorry."

Beep.

Gaz smoothed his hair back again and picked up his glasses from the nightstand. One lens was shattered and the other was completely unscathed. It was a metaphor for their relationship. He was always the one who broke and he was always the one who pulled himself together. She was just there. She was nothing special. Two completely separate lenses.

_Why is he being punished?_

"Oh God, I'm sorry," she whispered.

Beep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Zim?"

"Computer, I'm busy!" Zim shouted.

"But Zim, you aren't doing anything."

Zim stood up from his chair. "Zim is thinking! Thinking is an important Invader process too!"

"The phone is ringing," the computer went on in it's bored tone. Zim scowled.

"Who would be calling this late at night?"

"Well, I don't think it's the telemarketers, not after that last bomb you shipped to them."

"Fine!" Zim shouted. "If you think it's so important, Zim will answer the phone!"

"It's from a hospital line."

That grabbed Zim's attention. "But... I don't know anyone in a hospital." Without waiting for an answer, he went over to his silently ringing phone that was deep in his base and picked it up.

"Hellooo?" he questioned the receiver intently.

"Zim?" it was Gaz's voice, but Zim wasn't sure, the voice kept on fading in and out and all he got from it was, "Could you come?"

"I said I would fix it tomorrow," Zim assured carefully.

"... talk to..."

"What?" Zim questioned, wanting to tell her to speak louder, but for some reason felt as if he shouldn't.

"I need to talk to someone."

"Where are you?" he demanded.

"The hospital. Dib... he..."

"The Dib?" Zim questioned. Dib was in the hospital? And not by Zim's hand? "I'll be there."

"Hurry," came the faint voice before a click. Zim hung up the phone immediately and headed for the house level, almost forgetting to throw on his contacts and his new wig.

"Don't break her heart son," said Robo-Dad, watching television with Robo-Mom, Gir, and Minimoose.

"Break her heart?" Zim questioned. "Break whose heart? How do you break a heart? Zim wasn't going to cut anyone up!"

"SSSHHHHCHEESESSSHHHHH!" Gir exclaimed, gluing his eyes to the television. Minimoose squeaked in disapproval.

"Ah, our little boy is growing up!" And Robo-Mom promptly burst into loud tears while hugging Robo-Dad, causing sparks to start. Zim's antennae lowered. He would have to do something about them. Zim left them as Gir started to do a jig on Minimoose's head.

He realized how much of a madhouse it was that he lived in.

Zim went in through a window, not trusting the cameras that were pointed at the front of the hospital. He opened a door, only to realize Dib was not in there. He hadn't asked where the siblings were. Scowling, Zim brought his tracking device out of his pak. Hopefully Gaz was wearing her jacket.

She was.

Zim entered the room quietly, the door closing behind him the first thing Gaz appeared to hear. Her head snapped up and she turned towards him. She was not hiding the tears on her face.

"Oh, Zim," she rasped as she hugged him. Zim was about to push her off, but realized he didn't want to do that. She could still kill him, if she still had enough anger in her.

"What happened?" he asked, looking over her shoulder and at Dib.

Beep.

"I don't know..." she said quietly. "No one knows. They just found him..."

And she started to cry. Zim continued to look at Dib.

_That's just low hyman! Making your sister cry? Stop it!_

Beep.

Dib didn't respond. Zim wrapped his arms around her and wondered what he should do next.

The little that could have been said was not, and the silence that might have occurred was lost.

"There's nothing Zim can do, is there?" Dripping curiosity.

"No." Flooding disappointment.

"Damn it!" Smoldering anger.

"That must be the first time I've heard you use that Earth term." A dry statement.

"Go to sleep Gaz." Weary resignation.

"Where are you going?" Sudden alarm.

"Nowhere... currently. Go to sleep, Zim will watch him... For a while." The truth, plain and simple.

And he did.

Beep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaz woke up alone, her head on a seat pillow instead of it's former cushion. She sat up, trying to clear of her face, wondering why it was stained with tears. She looked up from where she was on the floor to the bed.

The incessant, constant noise was there, nearly pushed to the back of her mind in sleep.

Beep.

The sorrow lingered, but in the corner of her conscious. Anger, complete loathing and hatred consumed her. Her ire rose at the thought of the person that she did not know. Who did this to him? Her wrath was specially reserved for this person. Dib might not be able to tell her, but she would find out. She would find out and he would pay.

Beep.


	11. Drops of Light

**Drops of Light**

'''-----------------------------------------------------------'''

Beep.

_One falls_

He felt drowsy... and in pain. More then anything, he would have just appreciated to go back to the blissful nothing with sleep reclaiming him. He nearly did too. But something came back to the surface of his mind, swirling around with the colours beyond his eyelids.

"_He died because he was far from careful."_

"Dib?"

Dib opened his eyes, feeling winded for some reason. A little light came from the lamp beside his bed, but it did not get to shine on much. A room of complete white. A man stood above him.

"What are you doing here?" Dib asked the professional paranormal investigator.

"I heard you were shot," said Bill. "You're my partner Dib, I had to check on you."

"Wait a sec," Dib held up a hand there to stop him before he started ranting about their partnernessess, which Dib was certain wasn't even a word, let alone the word partner was low down on the vocabulary that he would ever like to hear. He put a hand up to his head and attempted to sit up.

"Be careful," Bill warned, but Dib ignored him and tried to anyways. He nearly made it, but slid on to his back again with the strain on his back and shoulders.

_I run towards you as one would catch another_

"What time is it?" Dib groaned.

"Four twenty-two. A.M."

Dib stared at the other strangely. "This is a hospital."

"It is?" Bill asked incredulously, looking around. "That would explain the difficulties I had coming in. And the equipment."

Dib tried to recall what had happened. He had stepped on a weak board and had fallen down to the next level, at least, he thought he did. But before that he was running away from Simmons. His father's murderer.

_Another falls_

Someone needed to be avenged.

"What happened to you Dib? You look like shit."

Dib glared up at Bill. "Oh really? And I was trying to look so pretty."

"Calm down man," Bill soothed, hands in front of him for peace.

Dib sighed, wincing as he did so. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just... Bill? Could you do me a favour? A really big favour?"

"Whatever you need little man," Bill replied instantly. Dib attempted to get up again and Bill steadied him.

"Get me out of here," Dib pleaded, breathing harshly with his efforts. Bill stopped, seeming not as sure.

"But Dib-" he began. Dib cut him off with a sharp gesture, the only gesture he could manage at the moment to get him to stop.

"Bill..." he started, "Remember when we were assaulted by that vampire? Before we even started working together?"

"A lackey of the Fang I say," Bill narrowed his eyes, his mind most likely drifted off to thinking about his sworn nemeses. Dib no longer tried to convince Bill otherwise of the chocolate vampire. He was reminded too much of the Countess Verminstrasser when he did.

"Neither of us went to the hospital for that," Dib continued. "You took me to your house. You have the equipment to treat me, even faster then this hospital. Please Bill, I need your help."

Bill shifted uneasily. "It will be hard to get you out of here..."

"No it won't," Dib responded. "The sooner I get out of here... the sooner we can find a zombie I have discovered."

He hated to have to lie to Bill, but that was the only way he knew of that would convince Bill to help him quickly.

"Zombie?" Bill asked suspiciously.

"I... will have to tell you later Bill," Dib continued with his ruse, lying back down. He mentally cursed himself, for it felt rather comfortable and he suddenly just wanted to go back to sleep. _Not right now,_ he reminded himself. "I'm feeling rather..."

"I'll be back in a flash," Bill informed him and was gone, just as unnoticed as how he got in, which was strange considering Dib was asleep then. He forced his eyes to stay open. He couldn't fall asleep now! He couldn't! He had to...

_Slowly I realize that maybe I can't finish this race_

,,,-----------------------------------------------------------,,,

_And there is a different objective to track_

_Down here?_ she scowled, wondering why Dib had been down here to begin with. The scientists, she hated to admit, were a lot of help with her questions. They gave her Dib's entire schedule since he had arrived the other day, the schedule of all of the other scientists, and the names of all of the other people (construction workers and others) that were in the building at that time. It gave her a multitude of suspects, which could all be wrong for all she knew. But the best thing to do was go down where Dib had gone and see what he shouldn't have seen.

_For once it will be another_

To her surprise, there were already three people down there.

"Careful!" one of the scientists supported her arm as she took the last few steps down. "Those boards have not been replaced yet!"

"What are all of you doing down here?" Gaz scowled, pulling her arm away from the scientist.

"Picking up bullet shells for the police," said another. "We suggested that it would be best that we did it, the area down here is so dangerous, there is no way that much evidence could be found."

"Never mind that," the third cut in sharply, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Gaz," Gaz responded with the same tone back to the scientist, "And what I'm doing down here is my own business, so back off."

_The drops fall steadily_

"Gaz!" the first scientist exclaimed. "How is Dib doing?"

"He's alive," she grumbled, hating to be reminded. She then stopped that train of thought, as the first two scientists seemed very relieved, the first in fact sighing his relief. But the third one's face contorted one second, then he did the same as the first, but Gaz thought it looked forced.

_Huh._

"My name is Karst, Gaz," the first scientist introduced himself. "And I will be glad to help you with whatever you need."

"Stantend," the second shrugged, not as enthusiastic as Karst, but seeming just as pleasant. "And this is Simmons, he knew your father well."

"My pleasure to work with him," Simmons seemed to recall, "His loss is felt here truly. You have our condolences for your loss."

"_My condolences for your losses."_

That voice. She recognized it well.

_The pattern unnoticed but never changing_

Gaz was surprised how little it took her to put it together, but it was obvious. It was him. Simmons. He had probably planned to do it at the funeral. But why? **_Why?_**

He was also close to their father... did that have to do with anything?

"You did it," she looked up at Simmons. "Didn't you?"

All three of the scientists blinked. Simmons barked out some laughter.

"Did what? Shot your brother? Why ever would I do that?"

"We understand your sorrow at such events happening so suddenly, and so close together," Stantend said, "But none of us here would do-"

"Then why is he replacing the shells with different kinds?" Gaz shouted, pointing at the scientist's pocket. "And why would he assume as soon as I said that I was talking about my brother? And _why_ is it that his footprints are of a greater multitude and and spread farther around the room?"

Karst and Stantend stared at her, but as soon as Karst looked at the two different shells in his hands Simmons did not waste a second.

_Until someone strikes the branch above_

The wood she found in her hands was soft and not the best material, but it was the only thing she had. The splinters stuck fast in her palms but she ignored it as she swung. She might have sat around playing video games a lot, but it did not mean she was slow. Her second swing connected with his shoulder.

"Here me!" he shouted after his exclamation of pain, "I will not rest until I have killed all of you!"

Gaz fell forward then, but was caught around by the waist and pulled away from the weak flooring. Karst held her back, a look of terror on his face in the direction where Simmons had fled.

"I-I'll inform the police," Stantend stuttered, just as shocked.

Gaz couldn't do much but stand there with wide eyes where Simmons had disappeared.

"_Until I have killed all of you!"_

All... her... Dib... and...

_Then all is illuminated_

"The bastard," she hissed under her breath, her grip on the wood tightening. She was going to kill him. There was no doubt about it.

She could just feel the blood sink beneath her fingernails.

"I never..." Karst whispered. "Does that mean he's going back after Dib?"

Gaz froze.

"I'll kill him first!" she pushed herself away from Karst and started to run back towards the hospital.

He was not going to get Dib. He was not. He would die if he did. He might have killed her father... but he was not going to get Dib. She would kill him first. He would pay for what he had done to them. Pay for everything they had gone through.

She would kill him for her father.

_For only a moment_

"I'm here to see-"

"Dib? He's gone. Disappeared during the night."

"... _what_...?"

"Um... what's with that piece of bloody wood?"

Gaz shut the hospital door behind her as her brain sped through each level. Dib disappeared last night, meaning shortly after she had left. Simmons could not have found him yet- but was that the case? _Should I be worried about Dib finding Simmons? Does he—he knows. That is why Simmons tried to kill him._ _So he is after Simmons? But he is injured! How could he do that?_

Gaz knew two people were too many for her to track. She had no clue where to look for Dib. Unless he was home, which she doubted, there was nowhere where she could think of that he would be.

She needed help.

-------------------------------------------------

_Before all is covered in darkness_

"Yes, you heard Zim correctly!" Zim shouted at the receiver. "Zim wouldn't waste his time otherwise! ... Yes I can call back tomorrow. What? Grrrr... Computer!"

Zim slammed the telephone down in a fiery rage, but as the phone did not catch on fire, he turned his thought to wondering how his elementary skool teacher did it.

"Computer! Answer!"

"_Now_ what is it?" the computer groaned.

"What else have you gotten from the police case files so far?" Zim questioned, wanting to get started on something more then just a name before the morning was through.

"Why don't you ask Gaz? She's at the door."

"What?" Zim exclaimed, turning towards the door in surprise. As if on a cue, the doorbell rang. Zim did not even bother putting on his disguise and strode over to open the door.

"Gaz!" he stared past her, at his guard gnomes that were destroyed. "Why are you here? Where's your brother?"

"He's gone!" she exclaimed. "He's trying to kill a scientist!"

Zim blinked. "I know he didn't want to take the position, but still..."

"No!" Gaz barked at him, causing Zim to cringe, "Simmons! The one who killed Dad!"

"I thought that was an accident?" Zim questioned, now a bit confused.

"It wasn't," she continued, murder written clearly on her face.

"So Dib's trying to kill him... he's awake?" Zim asked hopefully. That would be one good thing in a week of bad.

"Zim! You have to stop him!" she grabbed his shirt by the front and shook him.

"Why?" Zim asked, surprised. "That man killed your father! Don't you want him to die?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "But _he_ can't do it! It's Dib, Zim! You know him better then that! He isn't a murderer! He can't kill him! I'll loose him if he does that! Please! I don't think he'll listen to me!"

_Then another drop of light_

Zim grabbed her hands, stopping her from shaking him. She was still displaying the anger on her face, but her words told him all he needed to know. "You're going to try and kill him yourself..."

"So what?" she pulled away from him, not appreciating the sentimentality he was trying to display for her, which irritated him.

"You can't do that either Gaz."

"I'll do what I want."

_I'll loose you then,_ is what Zim thought of saying, but he knew that wasn't the case. He cursed Gaz for being who she was. She would not be any different for killing another person. She would not be killed by him- or would she? She was only Human. All _Humans_ ran out of luck. What if her time was up when she found this Fortif? She was too... Irken for him to allow him to let her die.

"You have to find your brother," Zim told her. "Zim might mess it up. Gaz, you're the only person he _does_ listen to."

"But I-" Gaz started again.

"Find your stupid brother!" Zim shouted at her, shoving her back out the door and taking her hasty weapon. "Keep him from being killed, that is Zim's job!" She turned to argue with him some more.

And he shut the door in her face.

_Falls_


	12. Rest In Peace

**Rest In Peace**

It was a race between the three. Whoever could find Simmons first.

Whoever could kill him.

Zim was ahead. He had experience. He knew how to find someone and then what to do to kill them. He had it all planned out. After that, he would find Dib and drag his stupid head to the hospital. Curse him if Christmas he was not allowed to try to take over the Earth just because Dib had not recovered.

It was almost like the family he never had. Never would.

Dib was behind. He pushed himself forward, using Bill to help him go. He thought it would be easy to find Simmons, but did not know that Gaz had chased the scientist away. He was going to take revenge for his father and then go home. Take time off. Try and pull things together before Christmas.

Oh yeah... Christmas... that was soon, wasn't it?

Gaz was unnoticed. She had experience, but the wrong kind. She didn't know what she was doing, but it came so naturally. She was so used to getting away with things, the police officer did not even notice her stealing his firearm. Torture was her specialty, but this required a more permanent ending.

Guns... easier to hit you with.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Zim studied the scientist's file.

"Aaaoooowwwoooowww!!!!!" Gir screeched at a passing couple. They quickly averted their walk to the other side of the street. Zim frowned as he looked at his disguised servant.

"Silence Gir!" he hissed, wondering why in Irk he had invited him to come along in the first place.

Gir only shut up as he darted after the next group that walked by them. Zim ignored the chaos as he continued down the street. Glancing around himself quickly, he scampered up the tree and waited.

"What is the report?"

"We haven't found him yet, sir. The entire area surrounding the labs was secured and we checked all of the addresses of his current residences. He's not in any of those places."

"Idiot! Those labs had so many tunnels, even destroyed someone could hide in there! That Membrane was a genius, but he had way too many wings to that building."

"You want me to send a team in there?"

"No, it would be suicide. Most likely he'll get himself killed down there. Anything else?"

"There's a strange dog assaulting random people in the city."

"Not our problem. Just secure the grounds."

Zim had stopped listening as the police officer mentioned the tunnels. _So, that Simmons is still in there?_ He examined the situation. If he was still in the labs, it wouldn't be hard at all to finish this. He doubted that it would take much to kill this man. Simmons couldn't even kill correctly, so Zim didn't expect a fight to ensue. But- why was he doing this?

_What has happened to Zim? I used to not care... only a week ago we were trying to kill each other! Death has never been... this... eventful before. How will this affect Zim's mission? It won't! I will take over Earth... and..._

_Zim is confused._

The labs were practically swimming in police forces. Zim was trying to find out how he would get inside when one of the officers passed him without seeming to see him. Zim groaned.

_Spent too much time with Gaz... I'm forgetting how stupid this race is._

Zim slipped down into the lower levels of the the third wing when he realized that he had already checked there. Zim growled and kicked the wall, causing a part of the ceiling to come down a few meters away.

"Too many places!" Zim shouted at the hole in the ceiling. The ceiling didn't respond and so Zim continued out of that room and tried to remember where he had not checked so far. "This-"

Zim stopped as a shot rang out. Narrowing his eyes with irritation, he looked in the room he was about to step into. A scientist was there, seeming prepared for a bombardment of some sort. Zim grinned evilly as he took off his disguise.

"Step out before I shoot you!" Simmons commanded. Zim's smile faded.

"You don't tell Zim what to do!" Zim shouted, rounding about on the Human. Simmons eyes nearly bulged out of his skull and he had to reclaim his former grip on the gun.

"W-wh-what are you?" he gasped, backing away from Zim as Zim pulled out his gun.

"Someone who gives orders, not takes!" Zim declared, shooting after the scientist. Simmons however, after seeing Zim pull out his gun, shot off a bullet of his own before running out of the room. The bullet the side of Zim's pak, which meant it reflected into the wall.

"Get back here!" Zim demanded, an uplifting feeling despite the fact.

_A chase. It's been far too long._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'll be right back," he had said before rushing off down the street. Dib just shrugged, for he had expected this to happen. As soon as Bill was out of sight, he pulled himself back up and headed in the direction that the labs were in. As much as his body wanted to rest, Dib kept telling himself that he'd had worse. How many times had Zim attacked him? How many of those times did he manage to get to skool the next day? He wasn't going to let this stop him, he had to keep going.

When Dib arrived, the grounds were deserted. No scientists or construction workers. No one. Dib felt the gun Bill had given him after his lies.

_I'm sorry,_ Dib thought again as he headed into the labs.

Dib's hands hurt, gripping on the sides as he made his way down another staircase. Air made it's way into his lungs, but it burnt like fire. He finally collapsed on the final stair as he looked around. He swore under his breath as the next stairway loomed before him.

_Did everything have to look so impressive Dad? I mean... sheesh._

Dib stayed where he was, catching his breath. He took the time to look over the edge, where the banister was missing and down into the large room below. About to pull back to the wall, he saw a movement. Dib's eyes widened as he crawled back to the edge, knocking a piece of metal off and over. The noise it made was shattering.

"Who-?" the scientist backed up against the wall, gun pointed up at Dib. Dib froze, unable to reach for his own weapon. Simmons' eyes stopped in their terror and focused in recognition. "Got you."

Dib saw him squeeze the trigger, but the shot rang against the ceiling as a green blur hurled himself against him, a red beam focused on below. Someone swore, Dib wasn't sure whether it was him or Simmons, but now he was hidden by a part of the wall below and couldn't see the other.

"-waste of space and time, I don't know what your father would have done if I hadn't said I'd take care of you and-"

"Zim!" Dib exclaimed, looking over at the alien. "What are you doing here?"

"Stay low!" Zim snapped, going up on his mechanical legs. "This is Zim's fight!"

"Like hell it-" Dib ducked as Zim dodged the bullets that came from a break in the wall. Zim scrambled over them and headed for Simmons.

"Zim!" Dib shouted at him, pulling out his own gun. He aimed at Simmons and froze again. Zim had run towards the scientist, dodging each shot. As soon as he neared him though, Simmons pulled out a knife and buried it into Zim's chest, which caused Zim to hiss in pain and shoot him in the leg. Dib tried to aim again, but failed. He would hit Zim.

_That stupid alien..._

Simmons ducked under the next beam and tossed a bunch of gravel up in the air, some which entered Zim's eyes. Zim started madly shouting in Irken, which Dib would have bet was swearing but he lashed forward with one of his mechanical legs just as Simmons shot at him. The shot hit the ceiling, Simmons fell back over rubble, and the ceiling fell on Zim. Dib leaned forward to get a clean shot at Simmons, only to hear someone coming down the stairs. So did Simmons as both looked up at the part of the staircase without a railing.

Gaz was looking around with an expression of murder on her face. She looked down and her eyes rested on Simmons. But he had seen her first and his gun was raised long before she started to bring her hand up. Dib had started scrambling up the stairs as soon as he saw her.

He caught her around the ankles just as the shot came. They both fell off the stairwell and Dib held her to him as they landed on a pile of stone. Dust billowed up beneath them as both started coughing.

"Dib!" Gaz protested as he rolled her to his other side, trying to find where he dropped his gun. A silhouette appeared in front of him, holding what he was looking for.

"You're almost not worth it!" Simmons' breath came ragged with a manic look in his eye. The gun went straight to Dib's forehead. With Gaz behind him, there was nowhere to run, even if he could have. "Now, you-"

His mouth opened and closed, but the ringing in Dib's ear meant he couldn't hear the splutters as blood ran down Simmons' face. A hand came up to his chest, where a hole had just appeared, then to his neck where a long gash ran across. Dib backed away as he dropped dead.

Dib stared at the corpse of the man who killed his father. His gaze tore from there as a noise from behind him moved around side to glare at his face.

"Gaz," he croaked, unable to say anything else.

She didn't even seem to notice the gun in her hand or the blood she was kneeling into.

"Dib!" she exclaimed, "Where the _hell_ were you?"

"You..." he and Gaz turned to the seething, wounded alien who appeared behind Simmons, glaring at Gaz. "That was my kill," Zim hissed.

"Zim..." Dib pointed at him. "You're a mess."

"No help from you!" Zim exclaimed, only raising one arm as the other swung uselessly at his side.

"You look like you fought the hospital security that Dib slipped out by," Gaz responded irritably. She then lost interest and started to poke Simmons' corpse. Zim rose an eye and Dib pulled her hand away.

"Just... don't," he sighed, trying to stand up. Gaz scowled at him.

"That's what you get from running away from the hospital," she responded, but stood and propped him up. He tried his hardest, but couldn't help but lean against her. Gaz then reached out for Zim, who hissed in irritation. "You look like you'll fall on your face!"

"Zim is fine!" Zim argued, but nearly fell over. Dib grabbed him so Gaz could prop him up as well. "Zim hates you all!"

"I could care less," Gaz spat, but it didn't sound like that was the truth. Dib watched as Zim looked away from the both of them.

"Zim... lost his disguise."

"Gaz, help me get this off," Dib pulled at his coat. She set Zim on the staircase and helped him pull out of his black trench coat. He set it on Zim's head. "I want that back Zim."

Zim couldn't seem to help himself from grinning evilly at him. "I'll try and remember to return it."

A long winded sigh came from Gaz. "Can we-" she stopped and looked over at Dib, "-Can we just go home now Dib?" Dib looked down at the dark rings under her eyes.

"Yeah," he nodded, "Let's just go home."

"Zim will return your coat Dib!" Zim shouted after the two. "Zim keeps his promises! Don't you forget it either Gaz!"

Dib looked sideways at his sister and was surprised to see a genuine smile on her face.

* * *

Ah Zim, making a killing seem not as important.

I do not think this is one of my better chapters, but I am at a loss of what else to put here that would be better. But, I will leave it to you all to say whether or not this chapter sucked. From what my notes tell me, I have one more chapter to write! The aftermath of everything, what fun. Anyways, I hope my action sequence did not put anyone to sleep, I am aware at how much I need to improve on those types of scenes.

Thanks to everyone who has stuck close through this story! R&R


	13. Christmas Without You

**Christmas Without You**

She had killed someone. Shot him through the heart, right before Zim slit his throat. It did not bother her much, when at all. She felt better, much better. The devastation that their father's death brought them was not so heavy, it didn't seem like the end of the world. There was light beyond that. And as she had sat there beside his grave, she felt like playing the new Vampire Slaughter that came out on one of the television consoles. She found it interesting that it had a multi-player feature. She was pretty sure that there was someone who would play it with her. She didn't dread going home either.

But there were places she would rather be.

"No. Fucking. Way." Gaz looked up at him. Dib frowned.

"Watch your mouth," he told her.

"Bill?" she mouthed at him. An amused smile came to his face, which made Gaz glare at him. "But he's practically insane!"

"He'll barely be around!" Dib shrugged, apparently believing that made it better. "I think," he added.

"Wouldn't they _not_ let him, because of that?" she asked, irritably shoving his magazines off of the tabletop. Dib sighed as he bent over to retrieve them. She didn't know why she ever worried about his health, Dib was too stubborn to die. He was even too stubborn to stay in bed even though the doctor was only allowing him to stay home only if he took it easy.

"Gaz, some people are stupid!" Dib grinned again, as if it were really funny to have to remind her about it. "Like the justice system will even notice!"

"I know," she narrowed her eyes at him, "But... Bill? He better not bother me with your stupid paranormal."

"I already talked to him about it," Dib assured her, going into the kitchen and taking his magazines with him. Gaz looked around at the living room, ignoring her show which just came on. She decided she had never really liked the decor. The bookshelves were stuffed with things that neither Dib or she had heard of. Lying open on a lamp stand was a book on optometry. Gaz flipped through the pages, wondering when Dad had started reading it. She blinked as the credit music came from the television. She had not noticed the time go by. Still holding the book, she turned the T.V. off with the remote. Footsteps behind her caused her to snap the book shut.

"Dad..." Gaz sighed, turning around. She froze at the sight of Dib, the tray in his hands quivering as if it had just been shot stiff. They both stared at each other.

"We're-" Dib started, a bit hesitantly, "We're never going to get over this... are we?"

Gaz looked away, that free, new feeling short-lived.

"I didn't think so," Dib sighed, setting the tray down on the side table. Gaz didn't look at him, feeling rather stupid and embarrassed. She wondered how he felt, being mistaken for Dad.

_Maybe like he was back at those stupid labs_, Gaz cursed herself,_ With those horrible scientists who think he can just turn into Dad for them._

The silence lingered until Gaz turned away from him, settling down on the couch. She could feel his gaze rove over her before the couch moved as he sat down beside her. She felt her temper rise, wanting this silence to last, but he didn't say anything. It left her drained and feeling alone with her emotions.

She felt better, but did better have to mean empty? What was the best way to cope? How much could she be allowed, how much should she give? It was confusing. Only a week ago it didn't matter that much at all. Only a week. It seemed like so much longer from this side of it.

"What're we going to do?"

He didn't answer. Gaz let her eyes wander over towards him just to see his eyes tightly shut, hand propping up his head as if he could block everything out. The feeling she got was strange. She wanted Dib to be strong again, she wanted to have the opportunity to lean on him, the opportunity she knew she'd never take.

"Mysterious Mysteries is going to be on," she mentioned, "You going to watch it?"

He nodded, eyes still shut. Gaz turned on the television and they both sat there not paying attention to anything until the both of them fell asleep.

Sleep was not filled with nightmares, it wasn't filled with anything.

"Gaz?"

She opened her eyes, to find herself lying on the couch, head on Dib's shoulder. He straightened himself up, which was what caused her to wake up. He did not look at her.

"Could you help me upstairs?" he looked rather awkward asking it. She sat up, without much thought.

"To your room?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"To... Dad's room."

She looked at the staircase, then back to Dib. Her first idea was to say no. Never to go in there.

_What are we going to do?_

_Find a way to deal with loosing Dad... without him._

Gaz nodded and stood up. He did the same with a little more effort and they both made there way to the stairs. She led him to Dad's room. The closer they got, the more reluctant both of them seemed to be to get closer. Dib finally pulled them both in front of the forbidden territory. She couldn't do much but stare at the door, eyes slowly drifting towards the floor. Dib reached forward and put his hand on the doorknob. After seeming to have to back himself up mentally, he opened the door.

There was not much in the room, the majority consisting of a thin layer of dust that coated all surfaces. A closet door was on the opposite side of the room and a small bookshelf next to it. A bed was stashed in the corner next to a small window. The last wall only had a small bureau with a mirror mounted above it. A few articles were placed accordingly on the surface.

Gaz went there, drawn by photographs. The only photos in the house were either of Dad, or of Dib's paranormal pictures. To see an actual other person in one drew out her curiosity. She realized with a start it was her mother.

_I have her hair_, she recalled with surprise, lifting the picture up and looking at the woman she had not seen for years. She was smiling as she was looking up at the camera, wearing torn jeans and a long, tight, sleeveless shirt. Gaz set the picture back down and looked at the next, which was of both of her parents. Mom was trying to pull down Dad's collar as she kissed his cheek, Dad was only holding her against him and didn't seem to be resisting. Gaz swallowed, trying to recall one time in her memory when they were together. It was useless, it was too long ago and too much was gone.

There was one last picture, framed and all, set on the surface.

"Dib," Gaz called softly, thumb smoothing across the glass as she looked at what must have been the single picture of all three of them in existence. Dust was cleared off from all of their faces as it collected in her fingerprint. A small exhale from over her shoulder moved her hair into her face. Gaz's eyes looked up at the mirror in front of them and wondered what happened to the selfish children in the picture.

"Let's take them downstairs," Dib suggested, his voice nearly choked. Gaz nodded, her tears contained behind her eyelids. She wasn't looking forward to the next Wednesday without him. Dib seemed to feel the same.

_Merry Christmas Dad._

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_December 24th_

_Who thought being alive now would make me think a lot more then I have ever before. I feel like I'm fifty, not nearly eighteen. I regret goading Gaz as much as I used to in the past, even more then when she made me pay for it through the nose. I came across my old journal file. It has so many notes from my obsession with Zim, that I don't think that I'll ever get rid of it. But I can add a few words just to get them off my chest. There are people I can talk to now, but there are some things you can never say._

_It has been ten days since Dad's death. I don't know whether to think it was just yesterday or ten years ago. It's been hard to keep track of things in my head. I don't remember if I had just done it or not. It's times like that when I'm glad Gaz and I get along now. I don't know what I'd do without her. She has always been strong, but I don't think I've appreciated it that much before. And with my current physical limitations, which I know are my fault, it's almost scary having her help me without even complaining about it. She's going to be taking an application for some video game creator position from a college in town. Everything is being taken care of, work, home, us... and it won't be that much longer before we'll have everything settled. We're taking a break, though we won't have a tree up for Christmas. I went out with Bill the other day to try and get a Christmas present for Gaz. Still can't find anything. Have to think of something new, something she doesn't have. Something she actually wants._

_It will just be the two of us for Christmas. I don't know how we're going to deal with it. We still aren't that comfortable just talking normally and I have no clue what to say to her. We've been talking about Dad, but there are times when it hurts too much to even think about him. There isn't a single Christmas in my mind when he wasn't here. It was the day Dad was always home. I think someday it won't hurt so much, but I'll never be over this. Never is a long time to think about it._

_There's also this spot in my mind which can't help but worry about him, as stupid as it sounds. I'm still waiting for my coat, but I have too much to do without stopping by and seeing whether he got home. Never thought I would care about Zim, but he's the friend that I never had and that will always treat me the same. He's just one more thing I know can change. I'm okay with that. And what surprises me, is that I think Gaz thinks so too._

-

Dib went down the stairs slowly, the best he could do at the moment. He couldn't wait to be able to run again, it was too big of a part in his usual routine to not miss. When Zim showed up, he wanted to be able to give an alien a run for his money. Not that would matter much, finding out Zim printed out his own money somewhere in his base.

Then, he heard a noise that made him stop. Turning the corner, he assured himself what it was.

Gaz and another girl were sitting on the couch, pressing the buttons on their controllers as they stared at the game on the screen.

"Who is this?" Dib asked Gaz, pointing at the darker girl. The girl clicked her tongue and Gaz narrowed her eyes sideways at Dib, most likely berating him for interrupting their game time.

"This is Sandra," she gestured with a jerk of her head, "A friend from GrafixGames."

"Friend...?" Dib asked incredulously, barely able to wrap his mind around it. Despite his sudden amazement, he felt happy for her. A friend... she needed that, just as much as he did.

"She's spending the night," Gaz added, setting down her controller after reaching a safe point.

"I thought tonight was family night," Dib reminded her, wondering what all could be going through her head.

"She isn't spending Christmas with anyone else," Gaz shrugged, looking up at him, "So I invited her to stay with us."

"Yo," Sandra set down hers as well and gave a short wave to Dib. He smiled weakly and waved back before turning back to Gaz.

"Without telling me?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry I have a life without asking you," she grumbled, something on the screen catching both of the girls' attentions and causing them both to grab their controllers. "Look," she said, though starting up the next level, "Next time, I'll be sure to tell you, 'kay?"

Dib just smiled as he watched both Gaz and Sandra stare intently at the screen.

"Thanks Gaz."

She absently shrugged again, but a bit of a smile came to her face as she and Sandra started discussing tactics to beat the next boss. Dib left them to themselves and went into the kitchen. It was colder in there because a window was open. Dib went over to close it but stopped. A mug of hot chocolate was set there, steam rising to the outside.

He waited for a while, but left as the chocolate cooled.

Zim would show... wouldn't he?

He saw Gaz's face as she saw the still-full mug of chocolate now cold and watched as she made another.

------------------------------------------------------

"Just wake up," Gaz threw a pillow at Sandra, who used some interesting curse words as she covered her face with the blanket, sitting up under the wraps. "Do you always sleep so late?"

"I make my own schedule," Sandra grumbled. "You stayed up late too."

"Uh-huh," Gaz responded, reaching for her drawers and opening them, looking for something to wear.

"Christmas isn't my favourite day," Sandra got up, stretching. Gaz paused.

_Oh yeah... it's Christmas. I forgot._

She went down the stairs quickly, reaching the cold kitchen. Gaz went to the window immediately. It was still full.

He hadn't come.

"Christmas is horrible," Gaz spat at the ground, leaving the mug there.

She hated herself to be so bothered over this. She hated it that she wanted Zim to be there.

"Merry Christmas Gaz," Dib said, handing her a box. She looked at him for a moment before taking it.

"I... didn't get you anything," she realized. She had been dreading Christmas so much, she hadn't thought about it.

"That's okay, I'll take a rain check," Dib waved it off, one sleeve on the sweater he was wearing folding over his hand. "Now open it!"

She opened it, feeling a bit guilty, and revealed the box containing the Vampire Slaughter game.

"I thought you and Sandra could play it today," Dib shrugged.

"What will you do?" Gaz questioned him.

"Watch," he responded. "I really don't want to do anything today." Gaz would have agreed, if it had been any other day. But it was Christmas and she didn't know what to do, let alone what not to. So she settled for calling Sandra down and the three of them had breakfast as they started up her new game.

"What time is it?" Gaz asked suddenly. Sandra frowned beside her as the vampires nearly bit her, only to be hit by sunlight.

"Four... thirty eight," she responded. "What's for lunch?"

"More like an early dinner. Dib?" Gaz looked over her shoulder to see nothing. The book he was reading was sitting on the chair he had occupied. "Dib?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Dib had never bothered cooking before. He never had the time before, just managing to grab something like toast before running out the door, to skool or after something else. He never learned from his father, because he wasn't home to actually cook. Always going out to eat, always grabbing something that did not require time. Now he was staring at everything and thinking how much it looked like fixing Thanksgiving dinner. Not that he knew from experience.

Straight in he realized how much he did not like cooking things and wouldn't try something as extravagant so soon again. Afraid of burning something, he burnt his own finger. Holding back a curse, he went to the sink.

To look through the window.

Inhuman eyes stared back at him.

"Zim?" Dib asked, unable to say anything else.

Zim surprisingly looked a bit sheepish as his eyes went down to the snow. His arms went up and Dib's trench coat was shoved in his face.

"I promised to return it," Zim told him shortly. "You- you didn't believe Zim would come!"

"I did too!" Dib snapped, wiping off the water from the bottom of the coat that got into the running water. "I just wasn't expecting you to appear at the window!"

"Zim scared you!" a smirk appeared on Zim's face.

"Startled!" Dib shot back, turning the water off. "Why are you standing outside the window anyways?"

"It was open," Zim responded, next holding up the mug that had been set there. "What is this supposed to be?"

"Hot chocolate."

"Doesn't feel that hot to me," Zim said, confused. Before Dib could say anything else, Zim drank some. Immediately he started coughing. "Hot chocolate! There's nothing chocolate or hot about it! It's horrible!"

"That's because it's been sitting out for a while," Dib laughed. Zim glared at him.

"Who would just leave it out here?" Zim demanded.

"Gaz, who else?" Dib shrugged. Zim stood silent for a few seconds before he suddenly responded.

"Well, she can't do that to Zim!" he shouted and clambered through the window.

"Zim!" Dib called as Zim was heading for the door. The alien wheeled around and stared up at him.

"What?" Zim questioned.

There were plenty of things that Dib could have said, that he wanted to say. Zim and he had never been so close before and the concept of being friends with him seemed awkward. But he wouldn't mind. Neither would Zim. Just as long as they both did not bring it up.

"Let me go in first," Dib offered, passing Zim by to the next room.

---------------------------------------------------------------

"Irritating," Gaz grumbled as she stood up, still watching the screen. "Dib!"

"Gaz," Dib came in the room grinning, almost looking like he did before Dad had died. "Zim's complaining that the hot chocolate's not hot." Gaz's hands froze on the controller as she turned towards him.

_Zim...?_

"Well it's not!" Zim protested, entering the room and thrusting the mug into her hands. "It tastes horrible! How dare you try to fool Zim!"

Sandra let out a snort of laughter, but Gaz just narrowed her eyes at Zim.

"I don't do things because you ask me to, so don't you dare ask me to make some for you," she gave it back to Zim. "Dib's not doing anything, make him do it."

"But I'm making dinner!" Dib seemed taken aback, "And I'm not about to make a friendly drink for my enemy!"

"Friendly drink?" Zim questioned curiously. "Does it talk? Zim wants none of your drinks, Dib, if they talk. No matter how friendly they are."

Dib just stared at him. After seeming to have regained his composure, he turned back to Gaz. "I'll be in the kitchen." Before Zim could open his mouth again, Dib was gone. Zim clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"He just can't handle Zim," Zim grumbled. Gaz ignored him and sat back down on the couch.

_This is more like it. Dad, I hope you don't mind me moving on. Someday._

She noticed the strange look Sandra gave her smile, but she just continued to play the game.

--------------------------------------------------------

Zim gazed down the table, still unsure why he was there. The offer of dinner from Dib had shocked him and he had nearly declined before Gaz pushed him down in a chair. So now the four of them sat there, eating. Zim had been quiet until he realized that food was on his plate.

"How do I know this isn't poisoned, Dib-stink?" Zim glared suspiciously at him, waiting for him to slip up.

"Because it came off of the same meat everyone else is eating," Dib said, as if it were obvious. Immediately, as if just suddenly thinking about it, Dib turned towards Sandra who was at his right. "He's an alien, you know," he gestured at Zim.

"Oh, that's nice,"Sandra shrugged as she sipped at her water. Dib's jaw dropped as Zim cackled with laughter.

"Why doesn't anyone care?" Dib asked, not pushing it and looking back at his own plate.

"Stop whining and eat," Gaz dumped sweet potatoes on his plate. Zim went back to his drink, only to realize it was empty.

"Give me more hot chocolate!" Zim demanded to Gaz, since she seemed to be passing out the food.

"Get it yourself," Gaz told him, putting the strange vegetable looking things in her mouth.

"But Gaz is closer!" Zim protested, pushing his drink cup to her.

"Yeah Gaz," Dib nodded. Gaz scowled at the both of them.

"And you often side with the alien?" Sandra rose an eyebrow at Dib. Zim watched in hidden awe as Gaz actually took his cup and filled it to the brim. He greedily took it back.

"Every once in a while," Dib shrugged, his eyes turning towards Zim's direction. Zim stuck his tongue out at him.

"He can't help that Zim is always right," Zim agreed.

"I didn't say that!" Dib denied.

The argument lasted until Gaz had enough. And when Gaz had enough, everyone had enough. Both Zim and Dib glared as Sandra laughed at both of them.

"So?" she questioned Dib, "Not the first alien I've seen."

Zim looked at Dib's shocked face before turning towards Gaz, who groaned at put her head in the table.

"Just the best alien, right?" Zim assured her.

"Don't tell me you like chasing paranormal too," Gaz said.

"I don't chase them," Sandra mentioned off-handedly as she skewered a piece of turkey. "I just find them interesting sometimes, just think about how many games and the level of intensity they would be if it were about things that people knew hardly anything about, but can't completely ignore."

Zim stayed contentedly quiet with his chocolate as Dib and Sandra got into an argument about capturing aliens. He grinned into his cup, joining the argument every once in a while to make if worse. He only faltered when he noticed that dinner was obviously over and Gaz was gone. Curious, he stood up and went to find her.

----------------------------------------------------

The roof was quiet. There still was no sense in sitting there, but Gaz's feelings were so mixed that she figured there wasn't any sense in anything and it didn't matter. It was quieter up there and she could think. Think of how it was like to feel like part of a family for once.

"Gaz?" Zim's voice came from the window she had come through as he joined her on the roof.

"I was waiting too, you know," Gaz mentioned quietly, swinging her legs off of the edge of the roof. Zim looked at her strangely as he sat down beside her.

"Waiting?" he questioned blankly. He seemed to catch on after a second, for he continued. "For Zim?"

She nodded.

"You're acting rather... not yourself," Zim told her, examining her face. Gaz finally looked up at him.

"I haven't been myself for a long time," she informed him. "Sometimes... I'm just not sure."

Zim blinked. "Not sure? Gaz is Gaz! Gaz is the Dib's sister! Gaz is the one who can stop the Dib and Zim both without even trying! Gaz is the game master! What is it that you're not sure about?"

"There's more then that!" she retorted.

"The more you speak of always seems to change, that's how it is with hyumans!" Zim responded haughtily. He then paused and looked up at the stars. "I... I missed you too."

Gaz's breath caught. She turned her head sharply towards the other. "Zim, the Irken Invader who needs no one? You are a laugh sometimes... why should I believe that?"

Zim shifted uncomfortably where he was as he was under Gaz's gaze. "You aren't like any hyuman I've met on this planet. If I was allowed my say, it would be that you aren't hyuman," Zim paused there and looked her over yet again. "You are far above them."

Gaz forced herself to roll her eyes away from Zim. He sounded so sincere, but it was Zim... what did he really understand? She stared down at the ground far below them.

"Thanks Zim."

"But I have done nothing!" he exclaimed indignantly. His mouth froze while open, then it shut without saying anything more, scowling. Gaz gave him a sideways glance.

"I could care less what you do to this planet," she told him simply, "But there are a few things that I do care about. Don't destroy those."

Zim stared at her openly, looking far past plain confused. "I... Zim destroys what he wants too! It just so happens I don't want to destroy what Gaz wants. It has nothing to do with me!" It looked like he attempted to scowl at her again, but failed as he just sat there looking somewhat miserable.

Gaz closed her eyes as she heard the sound of Vampire Slaughter being played inside the house, Sandra berating Dib's game play. She gave off the smile that she was not used to giving, the one he seemed to pull out of her. She stood up.

"Just as long as you know," she responded. She found herself leaning down towards him again, both willingly and unwillingly.

-----

"What's..." floated her voice to his antennae, only to float away as she left the rest of what she was going to say went silent. The feeling, the situation, the mood... it all was strange. Zim continued to sit where he was, trying to understand as she pulled away.

"_What's space like?"_

Zim watched her leave.

"Won't help me conquer Earth... hmm?"

* * *

Zim seems to miss the entire point, does he not?

I hope this lived up to the rest of the story, I tried my hardest to have an ending that would not suddenly have everything perfect, but would not suddenly have everyone dropping dead.

As for the people who wanted ZAGR, Gaz is too proud to say she liked anyone, and if Zim had those feelings, he would not understand them enough to show them anyways. And if he did understand, he would probably be more like Gaz about it. So Gaz's crush and Zim's confusion seems to be all what this story will entail.

Anyways, for the lovely people out there who like my work, other then thanking you for it I wish to ask which character should my next story be based around? It will not come up until I finish my one-shots and Paths Intertwined, but I have so many ideas started up, I am not sure which one to work on next. So if there is someone that someone wants to see/hear/read more of, I will take it into consideration.


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